An Act of True Love Part II
by Mustard Lady
Summary: Having spent part of the night as prisoners, Woody and the gang are lucky to be alive and can now head together safely home to Bonnie. But the princess is very heartbroken from what happened. Is there any possible way that Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and their friends can help ease the heavy ache in her heart over her terrible loss? Rated T for violence Some BuzzxJessie Mentions Bo Peep
1. Chapter 1 Tragedy

**Here it is! This is it! The scene that this whole story is based upon. I don't own Toy Story. I hope you all enjoyed reading PART I of An Act of True Love. Like I said before, the Toy Story characters have performed numerous acts of true love for each other. So, what makes this one different? You'll have to read to find out. Please read to the end!**

 **I'm sorry to anyone who was disappointed from Part I with no heroic Buzz saving Jessie shots. Of course, the story isn't over yet, but there are many Buzz/Jessie shots on this website, so I wanted to do something different.**

 **Please leave a review. I'd like to know your thoughts.**

 **How did Spike know where they were? What's going to happen now? Is this a case of betrayal again? Will they survive? _Is_ Jack responsible for this? Is this a trick? Did Jack actually set them up?**

 **Are you ready? Here it is.**

* * *

A sudden impact stopped them in their tracks, landing in front of them, and pushed Jack off the counter. "Watch it!" Woody called urgently.

"Mitsy! Jack! Look out!" Buzz cried out in an alarming voice.

Mitsy turned to look at him confused. "What?" Then she looked up. "Aaaahhh!" Mitsy screamed in absolute terror. Towering over her, was Spike! Woody gasped as he and Buzz tried to dart forward in an effort to protect her from the creepy villain, but they were both seized and held back fast by two of the marauders. Jessie and the others fearfully took in the whole scene, unaware that other members of the gang were creeping up behind them!

"Oh! Unhand me, you cowards!" Buzz demanded, and struggled against the falcon's hold.

"Oh no!" Rex wailed, his tiny arms shaking with fear.

"Going some place, little squirrels?" Spike smirked. Puss in the Boots sneered behind Mitsy, and as she turned, she saw to her dismay that Snaps the crocodile was also standing there, blocking her way. She couldn't hurry to Jessie and the others because there was a wide gap between them, just like the showdown at Sunnyside when Lotso had prevented their attempted escape! Woody was being held back by Pinch and Buzz couldn't seem to get away from the falcon, tightly gripping his arms. Mitsy had nowhere to run and now she was surrounded! "Well, well, well," Spike said again. "If it isn't the little princess. Trying to escape the fire-breathing dragon, huh?"

"It isn't funny!" Mitsy snapped angrily, surprised that she even found the courage to speak at the monster above her. She was scared, but she wanted him to know how resentful she was after the horrible things he'd done, plus what he intended to do to her beloved dog. "I don't care how powerful you think you are. To me, you're a dangerous, evil tyrant!"

"So, a tyrant am I?" Spike smirked.

"You're a horrid beast!" Mitsy snarled. "And as loathsome as a python!"

"That's right!" Woody agreed emphatically. Jessie, Slinky, and the others all nodded in agreement.

"I think this damsel in distress talks too much," Puss in the Boots said casually.

"She's right!" Buzz shouted. "You're nothing but a monster!"

"And a good for nothing barbarian too!" Trixie hollered. "You...you savage." She glared. "You're cruel, and heartless, and just horrible. And we don't like you at all."

"Look, we're not trying to hurt anybody," Woody pleaded. "We just want to go home."

"Leave our friends alone! PLEASE!" Jessie called out desperately, grasping her chest. She was horrified and so scared, seeing her brother, her good friend, and...and Buzz, her dear husband trapped by all these horrid, cruel toys. And she couldn't reach him! Her heart rate escalated, but she kept her eyes on her husband, hoping he could do _something!_ _Come on, Buzz!_ Her mind pleaded. _Think, Space Ranger! Do something!_

"Let 'em go!" Slinky growled. "Get your bloody paws off them!" And he darted forward, sprang himself across the huge gap separating them and gripped the end of the counter, attempting to fight the bad guys and protect his pals. But Snaps grinned creepily and shoved the dog's feet away causing him to bounce back, but Jessie and Potato Head both gripped him and together pulled him back up with them before he could fall into the hole. Slinky bared his teeth angrily at the ruffians.

"You wouldn't do this if you had a kid to love you like we do." Woody said, remembering what Jack had said about the motives behind these crimes. "What would your child think?"

"Shut up, Lanky Legs, before I throw you in the Brick!" Spike hissed at the cowboy. Woody looked disheartened. At least he'd tried to reason with the black-hardhearted buzzard of a toy. "I'm saving _you_ for something _very special_ tonight." Woody gulped. He believed he knew what that "something very special" was.

"Like mud, you will!" Potato Head shouted from across the way. "You keep your vinyl nose in its rightful place. Like the garbage disposal!"

"We'll get to _him_ later," Snaps rolled his eyes.

"Yeah! And that goes for the rest of you too, ya big meanies!" Jessie hollered, shaking her clenched fist. Trixie nodded her head hard. "Keep your hands of my friends...off my _husband!_ Ya hear me? Let 'em go! NOW!"

"She's gonna be a piece of work," Snaps chuckled. "She's a project, that one."

 _Over my dead body!_ Buzz's thoughts boiled inside. "You'll have to kill _me_ first!" He yelled. Jessie stared at him, a mixture of deep affection but also fear on her face. But he meant it. These devils would have to take him apart and leave him in pieces before he'd let them lay a hand on Jessie!

"Please, PLEASE just let us go home!" Mitsy cried. "Woody's right. We just want to get back to our little girl, Bonnie. Please just let us out!"

"We don't have to listen to this mush," Snaps folded his arms across his chest. "We've had enough of all this whining. I say the girl goes first."

"Yeah." Puss agreed, almost literally licking his lips at the thought of his anticipated, delightful cruelty. The sight of his relish in all the distress he was enjoying helping to cause was sickening. Bonnie's toys flashed him death glares.

"I think so. Throw her away." Spike ordered, starting to step threateningly toward her.

"No, please!" Mitsy pleaded frightfully, backing away from the ominous action figure who was grinning deliciously at her distress and Puss reached out to grab her from behind.

"Mitsy!" Woody cried, and tried to wiggle free. "Leave her alone!" He demanded angrily.

"Stay away from her!" Buzz barked, squirming.

"NO!" Came a familiar voice, and Jack appeared out of nowhere and threw himself half in front of, half above Mitsy, knocking her over. He shot a fierce glare at Spike. He was going to protect his princess! "Puss, all of you," Jack warned in a dangerous tone, "anyone lays a hand on her and I'll not only pull out their stitches, I'll bust their gadgets too!" He snarled through angrily clamped teeth, his fiery eyes darting back and forth at any assailant who didn't listen to him.

"This doesn't concern you, _Rin Tin Tin,"_ Spike smarted off. "You're bluffing. Get out of the way." But Jack didn't budge. Mitsy was lying on her back underneath his legs, watching frightfully and Jack's eyes became slits.

"They all sound bent on dying for each other anyway, Mr. Big Softie," Puss said snarkily behind Jack. "We're just saving them the trouble that's all. Quit being a spoil sport." Jack quickly whipped his head around and flamed a death glare at the cat. With his head turned, Spike took another step forward, but Jack's keenly alert ears stimulated his hostility, and he looked back at his terrible leader.

"Don't you touch her, Spike!" Jack threatened, crouching a little. "These guys are my friends, and you are _not_ going to exterminate them as long as I'm here! I've wanted out of this joint for a long time. I'm fed up with your repulsive crimes. I'm sick of your torturous grind for power. Do what you want with me, Spike. But let these harmless, decent guys go. I mean it!"

Spike raised an eyebrow. "If that's the way you feel about it," he said, and the two dogs charged angrily at each other. Jack gave it everything he had, but Spike, with his plastic claws, grabbed him by the throat. Jack tried to shove him away, but the evil ring leader pinned him on his back on the ground, making him gag and banging his head hard against the counter, plus digging his claws into Jack's stuffed throat. The gang members cheered while Mitsy screeched, horrified. Woody and Buzz tried to wriggle away from their captors to help the poor old dog, but they couldn't. Then, Spike roughly tossed Jack through the air where he smacked his head hard against a wall and limply sank down to the floor out of sight.

* * *

Then it happened! Spike rapidly turned around, and roughly yanked Mitsy up into the air by her cape and her hair! She screamed and struggled. Jessie and the others shrieked in fear at the nightmarish scene unfolding before their eyes.

"No! No!" Woody cried, watching frightfully. "What are you doing?!"

"Get your hands off her!" Buzz yelled furiously, squirming as hard as he could.

"Put me down!" Mitsy wailed, flailing around, trying to kick her assailant. Spike nodded to Puss who backed up against the wall, inching his fingers to a button in the wall. "Let me go! Let go of me!" Mitsy begged harder.

"Bye-bye, You Highness," Spike grinned. And with that, he reared back and tossed Mitsy down into the gap-the Brick- that separated the conveyor belt counter from the ocean of metal tables. She zagged through the air screaming 'til she hit the concrete ground.

"Oh no, Mitsy!" Jessie cried, clasping her frightened hands around her face. Puss pressed the button and the toys heard a loud noise above. They looked up and saw an enormous, heavy wooden loading dock being lifted with a rope crane to the ceiling. The flimsy rope was slowly ripping from the massive weight it was carrying. Then, without warning, the rope snapped and broke, and the 350 pound crate was rapidly tumbling down to earth, and it was directly above Mitsy! The princess screamed horribly, paralyzed with fear and unable to run to safety. The hole she was in was too high for her to jump out of! No one would be able to reach her in time to save her!

"I can't look!" Rex screeched and turned his head away.

"NO!" Woody yelled. The wood was coming down so fast there was no time to think. She was going to be smashed to pieces within seconds! He struggled one last time to free himself but couldn't. It was the end! Mitsy was done for. There was nothing he could do! He stood by helplessly and suddenly he couldn't breathe at all. He felt like the air was being sucked out of him and he couldn't fill it back in quickly enough. He felt like he was being ripped to shreds inside his body at the traumatic sight right in front of him! He couldn't save Mitsy! She was doomed.

"MITSY!" Slinky called out but to no avail.

Just then out of nowhere, something large and tan soared rapidly into the hole and bopped Mitsy hard, flicking her high in the air with its nose, until she landed upon the ledge with Jessie pulling her up! "Oh!" Mitsy gasped as she sailed up. She opened her eyes wide, turning her head, and flipped quickly onto her knees. "NO! NO!" She attempted to jump off the ledge but Jessie quickly grabbed her and held her back. It was too late.

"Mitsy, don't! You _can't_ save him!" Jessie sadly, firmly told her friend. There was a terrible howl of defeat that came from down inside the gap.

" _JJJAAACCCKKKK_!" Mitsy hysterically, deafeningly screamed in shrill devastation, and all her friends watched in horror as the huge loading dock crashed into the hole with a thunderous impact...on Jack! Mitsy just gaped there, gasping, her eyes as wide as baseballs, filled with utter shock and grief. Everything around her became a blur and she became totally oblivious to her surroundings. It was hopeless now. Her dog was dead! Her friend was _gone!_

* * *

Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Potato Head, Slinky, Rex, and Trixie were frozen to their spots, mortified disbelief pasted on their faces. Then the icy silence was broken by bursts of full, echoing, dark laughter! It was Spike! He stood at his remained spot, threw back his head, and laughed...a horrid, devilish, vile, triumphant, deeply wicked laugh. It made all of Bonnie's toys cringe in disgusted rage...except Mitsy. She was still in a daze, though the demon-like laughter made her shiver to her very smallest particles.

Woody was more than angry now: he was absolutely livid! His body trembled with rage and his eyes flamed with indignation and his insides burned with deep resentment at this evil, hideous, cruel, and heartless piece of plastic that was hurting his friend. His racing fury intensified to an alarming boiling point. He gave a very jagged, wholehearted kick behind him at Pinch. His wrath gave way to strength, pumping him to break the grip of the hench toy holding him back! Woody, the brave, fiercely loyal, noble-hearted, passionate, committed, and protective cowboy, sprang forward and charged furiously, like an erupting volcano, at the cruel ring leader of the murderous bandits!

 **I'm almost afraid to ask, but what are your thoughts?**


	2. Chapter 2 The Battle

**Remember I told you to pay special attention to Chapter 2 of Part I? Read here and find out why.**

 **Okay, you brutal savages, time for the showdown! Woody, Buzz, and the gang stick together through thick and thin, so look out! Rope 'em, cowboy! Jessie, the roughest, toughest cowgirl in the wild west. Buzz Lightyear to the rescue! "Prepare to meet Mr. Angry Eyes." Yeah, go get 'em, guys! Go, Andy's/Bonnie's band: go, go, go!**

* * *

"GGRRRAAYYWWHHHHH!" Woody roared and lassoed his pull-string, then looped it around Spike's feet. He held onto the string firmly before tightening it and aiming head first, bopped Spike, then kicked and pulled the dog's legs down, knocking him off his feet, onto the ground, surprisingly well for a light rag doll against the stonewall like plastic build of the bulldog. The mad cowboy doll pounded onto the huge dog's back, pressing his hands down with all the strength he could muster. "You murderous beast!" Woody snarled venomously through clamped teeth, and began punching him in frustration and extreme anger. "You savage brute!" Spike reached back with his big hand and grabbed Woody's arm, dragging him, then started banging the sheriff's head down, just like he did with Jack. Woody's head was already sore from the whack he'd received earlier, and this was making the pain he'd forgotten about worse. He felt like he was going to pass out.

Buzz struggled, then tried flipping over, which _finally did_ get the falcon off his back. Just like Woody, his anger exploded through his body and gave him advantage of his powerful captor. When they'd been driven by fear, it had sapped their strength; however, when the deep anger and rage ran through their bodies like finger nails scratching a chalk board, the adrenaline had boosted them tremendously. Buzz and the falcon were wringing each other's shoulders, both grunting in angry frustration.

Suddenly Mitsy, Jessie, Potato Head, Slinky, Rex, and Trixie heard noises behind them and found themselves face to face with more adversaries! They all spread out in different directions. Slinky was being pursued by the boar with the pliers when he lost his footing and fell on his back. The boar opened the pliers and dug them into Slinky's middle! Slinky groaned in pain and rolled over and over but the pig kept twisting his coils. Then, the hog went sailing through the air until he hit his head on the wall and tumbled. "Slinky, are you okay?" Trixie asked.

Slinky went limp, relieved. "Thanks a lot," he whispered, massaging his sore, metal stomach. Then something caught his eye and he raced toward it. "I'll be back!" He called. Trixie heard footsteps behind her and twisted around to see Stinger about to whack her straight down on the head with a hammer! She charged toward him and flicked the scorpion up ahead of her, while the hammer slid away.

* * *

Rex ran towards Spike who was still wrangling Woody's noggin. He ran across the top of the crate, the cruel crate which had taken Jack's life. But it served as a bridge now where he could do something to help his friends. The dinosaur twirled around on one foot, just like he'd practiced for dancing, and whacked them with his tail, sending Spike and the falcon flying off the conveyor belt onto the metal shelves. Snaps and Puss ran after their fellow mobsters. "Hey, nice going, Rex." Buzz said. "Come on, Sheriff! Let's go get them!" He pulled Woody to his feet and they ran after the villains.

Snaps had grabbed the hammer that Stinger had dropped and almost directly clamped it down on Trixie's head (he was behind her) when Rex twirled again on his one foot and rammed into the crocodile who was skidded away. "Hey, nice going, Rex," Trixie smiled, impressed as he fell on top of her. "Thanks ever so much. Where did you learn that?"

"I've been practicing." Rex grinned.

"Sweet." Trixie cocked her head.

Jessie saw Puss in the Boots trying to sneak up on Slinky who was pushing a large box toward the tables. The loathsome feline grinned a sickening smile, as he was about to bash the unsuspecting, task-focused dog's head in with a heavy stapler. Jessie sprang forward to the ghastly crook, ready to wring his neck and twist his tail, but the Sniper figure blocked her path, bracing himself with his gun. He was well-trained, but was a little shorter and smaller built than the cowgirl, and had a soft body with plastic boots and a plastic helmet. Jessie snarled, ready to head-butt him, then toss him around like a flapjack, but he extended his leg out, tripping Jessie. She fell forward, huffing in aggravation when suddenly she couldn't see anything! It was dark! She frantically wagged her head in every direction, searching anxiously for just a sliver of light, but there was none. She spread her arms out, trying to feel around and touched a frighteningly familiar texture. Someone had placed an upside down cardboard box over her, and it wasn't very wide at all either! "HEY! NO!" Jessie cried out, half in fear, half in frustration. "I don't have time for this! Help! LET ME OUT!" She hollered loudly. She leaned on her back, arched it, and kicked her legs up hard, directly above her head, which sent the cruel confinement up in the air, away from her! Jessie sat up and gasped heavily.

"Come on, cowgirl. We've got some no good loafers to take on." Potato Head said, extending his hand to her and helping her to her feet. Rex placed her hat back on, as it had fallen off when she sat up.

"You're safe now, Jessie!" Rex exclaimed. "We need your help."

"Thanks a lot, fellas." Jessie smiled, then excitedly gripped the ends of her hat over her head. "Come on!" Ordinarily, Jessie would still be in a petrified state after being in trapped in that narrow space, but she couldn't afford to right now. Her friends were in trouble! "Hey, Slink! Is he..."

"He's fine. Except he ain't wasting time jawing like we are!" Potato Head groaned. And the three of them took off.

* * *

"Woody?! Slinky? Where are you guys?!" Mitsy called out as she ran in random directions, not sure where to go, and just wanting to escape.

 _"Mitsy?! Mitsy, over here!"_ She heard Woody's voice and saw him afar off, running after Snaps the crocodile. He was trying to lasso him, with Buzz in tow, ready to help nab the cowardly croc.

Mitsy anxiously darted for the cowboy, her heart pounding. Maybe there was something she could do to help capture one her mean and heartless marauders. "I'm coming!" She called.

"No ya don't," A sly voice said gloatingly. Mitsy felt firm arms encircle her and snatch her up in the air. The figure mercilessly dug his fingers into her hair, holding her above the ground like a damp rag. She grimaced and flailed around. It was Puss in the Boots. He, like the Sniper, wasn't that tall or muscular, but he sure made up for it with his cruel tactics and torture skills! And he was bigger than _her._

"Let me go!" Mitsy shouted frightfully in anger. The cat just smiled smugly.

"What? Don't tell me you're upset to see me again." Puss scoffed. "Haven't you enjoyed our company? You weak, worthless little fiend!" Mitsy did manage to slap him.

"You...you're a murderer!" She shouted with choked up emotions in her throat. "Help!"

 _"Mitsy?!"_ Woody called from somewhere far away.

"Buzz! Woody! Help!" She called out.

"Hey, gun boy, how about a little target practice, huh?" Puss laughed and Mitsy's face turned to horror when she saw the Sniper aiming straight at her! And that horrid cat was roughly throwing her around, swaying her back and forth in front of him so his slimy face would be spared from the sharp needle bullets of the gun. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" The cat laughed like a maniac. "Can't do it, you can't get a good mark." He taunted the gunman. Sniper fired, but missed, much to Mitsy's relief, but eventually he'd make his mark and she was terrified. "Ha, ha, ha! Ya missed! Try it again!" Puss cheered.

"Aaahh!" Mitsy screamed, but then her voice was blocked as Puss, for the second time this night, covered her mouth. She crunched her teeth onto his paw, _again._ Then, just as suddenly as she had been grabbed and used as a shield, just as quickly, her two assailants disappeared from view! She dropped to the ground, and heard them hollering in frustration. She looked up and saw Rex. He'd again twirled around perfectly on one foot and had sent those horrid bandits into a dizzy spell with his tail. He bent down to help her stand. He reached out his tiny arm to her equally small hand.

"Are you all right?" Rex asked anxiously as she stood up.

"Oh, Rex!" Mitsy cried and wrapped her arms around the gentle, good-natured dinosaur. She tightly hugged his larger frame, shivering. "Thank you, buddy! Thanks...Godzilla!" She briefly smiled.

"It's okay." Rex shrugged. Then something hard rammed into them out of nowhere, sending Rex yards away. Mitsy gasped when she recognized Stinger the scorpion. He swung a hammer backwards in the air, intending to hit her. Mitsy sharply turned and ran for it.

* * *

Woody had heard her cry for help, which distracted him from the mission at hand. But as he'd attempted to rush to her aid, Snaps tripped Woody with his long tail, then grabbed him from behind in a head lock, choking him. Woody gagged and tried to rid his throat of his assailant, but he couldn't. Then he heard a familiar, high-pitched, wild voice that reminded him of a bobcat. Woody would know _that_ voice _anywhere._ "Let him go, you big varmint!" Jessie screeched as she came running and pounced like a cougar onto the crocodile's back. She wrangled her arms and legs around his neck and squeezed as hard as she could. Snaps ripped her off and tossed her aside. "Oohf!" She huffed with clenched fists and ran back at him. She pulled on his claws around Woody's neck, trying to jerk them back. She yanked with all her might, but Snaps shoved her away again. But Jessie wouldn't give up. Then she snapped her fingers, knowing exactly what to do! She grabbed the reptile's cotton-stuffed tail and dug her teeth vigorously into it. The hostile lizard yelped like a crow and bounced up in the air like a jack-in-the-box. He instantly let go of the cowboy, then Jessie started biting mercilessly at him on his arms, hands, and tail. He started running when Buzz pounced on him and tackled him to the floor. He sat on top of the reptile's back, firmly pressing Snaps' head down.

"Stay down, you coward!" Buzz barked close to Snaps' ear. "You and your other scum won't get away. I'd like nothing better than to put an end to you and the rest of your filthy sinners, but I'm not gonna do that. We _will,_ however, put an end to your dark deeds tonight. Never again, you cursed pad of stuffing. Never again!" Snaps suddenly sprang up and flipped Buzz onto his back, then turned to attack. But Buzz was an expert member of Star Command, sharply trained in the martial arts, and kicked the croc's feet, knocking him down again. Buzz immediately got to his own feet, somersaulted behind his assailant, and pinned him down again. "Try it again," Buzz smirked. Potato Head and Trixie arrived and dragged the lizard away. Buzz smiled at Jessie and she grinned back, then came back to Woody and helped him up.

"Thanks a lot, Jess," Woody smiled. "Way to go, cowgirl!" He gave her a thumb's up.

"Thanks. You know, you're not so bad yourself, Sheriff. Come on! Let's go corral some criminals!"

Jessie ran on ahead toward the hostile falcon who was grinning at the sight of his prey. But before she came within two inches of him, she suddenly started doing cartwheels and bounced away. "Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah!" Jessie happily taunted him. "You can't catch me!" The angered bird gave pursuit and she kept up her crazy-at-this-moment-antics. He tried to charge and grab her but she was so fast that she dodged him every time. "You ain't so much, hot shot!" Then she suddenly just...stopped and the falcon rushed at her. "Go ahead, grab me! I dare ya, I double dare ya!" Jessie grinned, taunting him. The bird gleefully ran for this surprisingly super easy target. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." she warned, which stirred the bird's face to become even more dangerous looking. She just stood there, stock-still, hands on hips, tapping her foot, and a sneering smile on her face. She just stood there, waiting.

 _What an idiot,_ the falcon thought. _This will be too easy._ He charged straight at her when suddenly she did the same! She flipped into a ball on the ground, rolling over, and then spread out her feet, kicking his legs. He tripped, growled, and looked around for that mangy cowgirl.

"Over here, Smarty Pants!" Jessie called from behind him. "Come on, slow poke." The bird stood up quickly and whisked himself around, but was unexpectedly snatched from behind by his elbow and flipped over backwards. He shook his head to gather his thoughts and heard that blasted cowgirl giggling. He screeched, clenching his fists, and tried to stand himself up when some powerful, heavy object rammed right onto him, knocking him to his back again! He looked up to see dark blue eyes staring directly into his own, with angrily fierce eyebrows, a rounded force field pressing against his face, and steel-like hands pinning him down. He struggled but the masterly figure held him down even harder.

"Good work, Jessie! I've got him!" Buzz exclaimed proudly to his wife. "Nice work, cowgirl. I couldn't have done it without you!" They high-fived each other.

"Yippee!" Jessie cheered. Buzz had seen the bird charging at Jessie, and immediately began to fear for her safety, forgetting that she could hold her own. Unbeknownst to the cowgirl, he'd been chasing after the falcon while she distracted him. But then she'd seen her beloved and brave Space Ranger husband behind the falcon, and that's when she dared him to come after her. The plan worked out perfectly. Trixie came running to them with a tape gun, which they completely wrapped the bird up with, then Trixie rolled him away with her horn.

* * *

Woody looked around frantically for Mitsy. Where was she? He was _not_ going to lose the little princess again, not after what had happened earlier tonight! He anxiously twisted his head in all directions, searching. "Mitsy? Mitsy!" He called, then turned to his left and saw Mitsy being pursued by one of the crooks. He gasped and started to run after her when he felt a sudden, merciless, bruising blow to his stomach and collapsed. "Aaargghh!" He gasped, the wind knocked out of him. He was trying to catch his breath and clutched his stomach when he glanced up. It was the Sniper! He'd kicked Woody hard where his guts would be with his plastic combat boot. He grinned sickeningly at the hurt cowboy and stepped menacingly toward him. He started to load his rifle. "No...please," Woody said feebly, shaking his head and grimacing. He still gasped, trying to receive some air back. The armed toy was aiming his gun directly at the middle of Woody's torso where the vest separated. The cowboy gritted his teeth, but the shot never came! The Sniper groaned and was tossed high into the air then was hanging upside down. Woody saw that it was Buzz and Potato Head! Buzz was holding the toy up by his ankle, as he was a smaller built action figure, and glared at him.

"Don't even think about it." Buzz said dangerously. Sniper gulped and Potato Head smacked his face.

"Take that, you pincushion rookie!" The spud growled, punishing him for what he'd done to Jessie by throwing the box on top of her. Trixie arrived with a tape gun carried in her mouth.

"Here ya go, guys." She said, then helped them incarcerate the dangerous toy.

"Thanks, Trixie." Buzz said, and helped Woody up.

"Thanks a lot, Buzz," Woody sighed.

"Where there's danger, there's a Space Ranger." Buzz grinned, saluting Woody. Woody would've smiled but didn't.

"I gotta go!" He cried, and ran away.

Stinger was coming fast at Mitsy with a hammer as she tried to flee from him. She tripped on her cape and fell over. The scorpion almost slammed her head with the hammer but Woody quickly dropped from the sky with his pull-string, wrapped his arm around her waist, and they both soared up in the air toward the hook he was hanging from. "Thanks, Sheriff." She whispered, hanging onto his neck.

"Just returning a favor," Woody smiled back in gratefulness from earlier when they were trapped in the box and she'd saved him from being torn to pieces. Buzz pinned the scorpion down and Jessie ran to help her husband. They rolled him up in tape. The cowboy and princess were sailing through the air when they saw Spike ahead of them, standing on a tall pile of boxes. He reached his arms out to grab them, and grinned hideously. "Hang on!" Woody commanded, Mitsy climbed onto his back and clasped her arms around his neck again while Woody pursed his lips in determination, stiffened his legs so that they were out in front of him and he rammed into the pile of boxes, like a bowling ball into the pins. Due to the impact, Mitsy slipped off him and flew down to the counter while Spike tumbled down too and the boxes piled on top of him. Woody landed on the highest one and slapped his knee. "Ha, ha!" He smirked. "Thought you could get rid of us, didn't ya? Ha, ha. Well, your number's up, pal." Then he hopped off and ran to assist Buzz and Jessie.

* * *

Something grabbed Mitsy's cloth ankle and was dragging her from behind, but it happened so quickly and then Mitsy felt arms grab her and throw her down on the ground. She shook her head, then looked up. There was Puss in the Boots, _again,_ and in his right hand was a real dinner knife! "You!" She cried. Mitsy was frightened and started backing away, but the farther away she moved, the faster and closer he came. She was on her back, in the worst possible position for him to make a clean kill. This wicked stuffed animal seemed endlessly delighted in following the cruel, cold, and heartless steps of his leader, Spike and was just as bloodthirsty! And for some incoherent reason, he always seemed especially set on attacking _her,_ probably because she appeared so defenseless in his eyes. Mitsy was panicking. _THEN,_ like a light bulb flashing on in a dark room, Mitsy held her head up calmly. She knew what she had to do! She furrowed her brows and pursed her lips in determination. Puss was directly above her. He reared back and positioned the knife like a sword, ready to stab her clear through! But while his arms were raised, she gave his left leg a really good kick!

The cat hobbled, whining. "What!" He looked down at the doll, surprised, then angry. He growled, screeched, then tried again to dig the knife into her cotton body, but succeeded in jamming it against the metal counter. "Where are ya?! Where are ya?" He hissed in full hostility. He wasn't playing around anymore, he was angry now. Where did she go? Mitsy was on her back to his left, with a daring smile on her face. Puss snarled and tried again but missed. He kept digging it down, but the princess rapidly rolled around left and right, dodging his stabs, everything Buzz had taught her and practiced with her in self defense class coming together at once! Then she raised herself up on her hands and knees underneath the cat, knocking Puss off his feet! Then she pounced on his back after kicking his legs again, and grabbed his tail. Pressing her foot fully against his back to keep him down, she tied his tail in a knot. She determinedly, surprisingly turned the tables on her gleeful chief torturer! As Puss started to get up, Mitsy jumped on his back and twisted his hands behind him, gripping them with all her strength. He managed to stand up, but she was glued to him like a leech.

Buzz, Woody, and Jessie, all astounded, ran to them with the tape gun to assist her. "We'll take over now, tough girl." Buzz said, smiling and Woody proudly gave her a thumb's up.

"Classic self defense action if ever I saw it." Jessie smiled widely, slapping the princess on her back. Mitsy very slightly smiled, then backed up while her friends attempted to incarcerate the swarmly feline. They pinned him on the ground, keeping his hands behind his back. Mitsy glared at him with a pained face. He was horrible, beyond anything dark she could understand, or didn't dare want to understand, and it was still gagging to stare at his evil form, knowing what kind of toy he was. She sighed in relief, thankful that her three good friends were nearby, giving him what was due. Puss tried to get up, but they all pushed him down.

"Whoa, easy there, Pussy Cat," Woody grinned, pressing the bottom of his boot on the cat's head, to keep him pinned. "You're not going anywhere. Your fun's over! You've reached the end of the line!"

"What's the matter, _tiger?"_ Jessie taunted. "Did you squawk at losing your Cat and Mouse game?"

"You'll pay for this, you bean bags!" Puss growled, as he was taped up.

Suddenly, Mitsy was grabbed around the throat by Spike! She tried to scream, but could only gag. The giant dog was choking her. Jessie heard the heavy footsteps behind them and looked. She gasped in horror. "NO!" Jessie shrieked, shaking her hands. Woody and Buzz looked up at the sound of her cry.

"HEY!" Woody gaped. He could _not_ believe what he was seeing. "Let her go!"

"STOP!" Buzz demanded furiously. "Put her down!" Then the three of them raced after the wicked toy killer as he quickly stomped away, flailing the princess back and forth as his arms swayed at his sides. "Guys, give us a hand!" Buzz called to their friends.

"Hurry!" Woody yelled. "We've got to save her!"

Spike walked from the counters onto a giant drum bin and stopped near the edge, still gripping a stony hold on the doll's tiny neck. He may have been made of plastic, but he was dangerous. She was barely able to struggle against him anymore. The demonic bulldog grinned widely. Mitsy's eyes were squeezed shut. "Your precious Jack can't save you now." Spike smirked. Mitsy longed to call out for help, but she was desperately gasping for air to breathe. She couldn't stop choking. She didn't see it, but below the barrel in the concrete floor was a large sewer drain, and the heavy lid was barely held open by flimsy crowbars. Spike was laughing again and reared back.

 _Woody, Buzz,_ Mitsy's mind spoke her last words as she could feel the consciousness slipping away from her due to lack of air, _take care of Bonnie and our friends._

"Have a nice swim!" Spike chuckled, but suddenly, Mitsy felt his hand rapidly loosen around her and as he flailed, she went flying. Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Slinky, Rex, Trixie, and Potato Head had sprung forward, all head-butting Spike at once in order to save their friend. They'd bopped him hard into the air. He howled in angry surprise, tumbling closer and closer down to the sewer! In he went, and the impact of his size and waving arms bumped into the crowbars which brought down the grate with a thunderous, chilling _CLANK!_ that echoed throughout the massive room. The murderous beastly toy was defeated!

"Ugh!" Grimaced a stunned Rex, shrinking back and turning his head away.

"What a terrible way to go." Trixie commented quietly, grimacing.

"It's not what we intended to happen," Potato Head stated, "but that devil had it coming to him!"

"Yeah," Jessie agreed solemnly, "at least now he can't hurt anyone anymore."

Woody sighed heavily, hanging his head. Buzz patted his friend's shoulder as the cowboy tried to let the relief sink in. "Come on, everyone. Let's finish the rest of them off." Buzz spoke up and they headed back to a large box that Slinky had found. Inside, they had thrown all of the evil Spikes Gang members, each one wrapped in tape so they couldn't get away. Trixie and Rex closed the flaps while Woody and Buzz sealed the box six times.

"Everybody, push," Woody ordered, and they all shoved the box to one of the five garage doors, waiting for pickup. Woody quickly scribbled a message with a permanent marker on it: _Found toys. Donate to Pack Rat Flea Market._ Maybe with Spike the ruthless leader out of the picture to influence them, these other toys would possibly repent of their crimes and mend their ways.

It was all over! The battle was done! Everyone breathed in relief and marched to the exit door.

* * *

 **Our heroes could've sent the gang members to the dump. But knowing Woody, I honestly believe that he wouldn't have the heart to send _any toy_ to that place, no matter how evil they were. Originally, I had written that they taped up Spike and threw him in the box too, but after consideration and a new idea, I felt that his fate in his own bloodthirsty method would be more satisfactory. His followers are weakened now, and it's possible they just might change down the road. But he fell into his own pit. **

**With all the intensity happening, I thought the characters pausing to congratulate each other might lighten the mood and ease the tension a little bit. And who was better to start with in getting the ball rolling than Rex and Trixie? If anyone was to act almost oblivious in the midst of all the havoc, I thought for sure that these two would be it!**

 **I've had this chapter written down for a long time, but tonight was when some extra ideas I'd never even thought of using before came to my mind! Hope it added color to this chapter. Sorry, that you didn't see much of Slinky in here. But hey, he did provide the final means of ridding the old building of these mobsters. He is my second favorite Toy Story character, and I would've liked to put more of him in the battle, but you have read a lot about him in the previous story, so it was time to give the other toys some important roles. I hope it was the Buzz Lightyear heroic time you've been waiting for. I hope he made up in this chapter for all the spotlight time I didn't give him in the previous story, Part I.**

 **What do you readers think? I'd like to know.**


	3. Chapter 3 Broken

**Thank you for your reviews. They encourage me. Lightraygirl, yours really brightened my day! FrozenFever123, that is a good idea. We'll see what happens.**

 **Just so you readers know, this story will be showing more of Buzz and Jessie.**

 **The adrenaline rush is over and they can head home! But now the hard part begins. I've been waiting and waiting to share this chapter. It's on the depressing side, but I like the emphasis the toys live out on devotion and friendship. A little Buzz/Jessie.**

* * *

" _..._ _Let go...of me! Let…go! P-pl...please!..H-he...help! Woody...Buzz...help!"_ Mitsy was saying to herself between gasps for air. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she thought that the huge monster was still making her gag. When he'd released her, she'd gone sailing through the air 'til she hit a wall and collapsed down to the hard floor. She'd instantly passed out, partly from fright, and partly from the sudden impact of the ground she'd hit. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, then squinted from the bright lights. She lay on the floor, just panting, welcoming the air back. Her eyes were widely fixated on the ceiling with all the florescent lights. A moment ago, everything had been black. "W-where am I?" She asked nobody. Then every horrible nightmare that had happened tonight swam back to her mind, and she just lay there, whimpering. Where were her friends? She didn't see anyone. Were Woody and the others...dead too? Were they still fighting? She shivered with dread. She didn't even know if there were other crooks lurking nearby, if she was safe where she was.

So Mitsy slowly sat up and feeling incredibly lonely, crawled away, clutching and rubbing her throat and sighing sadly. But one of her faithful friends _had_ seen her _,_ and rushed down to try and comfort her.

* * *

"Let's go, guys." Potato Head said. "Bonnie's room, here we come!"

"Those were awesome moves you did, Rex." Trixie smiled.

"I gotta hand it to ya, Kellyzilla," Potato Head remarked. "I have to admit, your dancing lessons were a hit!"

"Yeah. Thanks, bud. You were a very big help." Woody smiled, nudging Rex on the shoulder.

"Chalk up another one for the good guys," Buzz smiled, giving his friends high-five _'s._ "The forces of evil have once again been squandered! Good work, everyone! Excellent job. Let's go home."

"Uh, guys? Hey, wait a minute." Rex said hesitantly, stopping in his tracks.

"What is it?" Woody asked, turning his head to face him.

"Uhm, where's Mitsy? Where's Slink?"

"Oh! Yeah. Where are they?" Woody said. Then they heard a distant whistle from somewhere in the huge room.

"Over here, y'all!" Slinky called.

"I think Slinky found her." Jessie said. The whole gang ran around the corner, up a wheeled-dolly, and onto a desk. Then, from their vantage point, they found her. Everybody's faces dropped sadly. Mitsy was tightly huddled up in the corner of the wall, her face buried in her arms wrapped around herself on top of her knees. "Oh. Poor Mitsy," Jessie sighed, her hands raised up to her mouth, her heart churning at the sight of her dear friend's pain.

"She lost her friend...again." Trixie said lowly, shaking her head.

 _Oh,_ Woody thought to himself. _I can't stand it! Poor darling. She'd just gotten him back, and now he's gone! I'm so sorry this happened. Why? After all that happened tonight, now **this?** It isn't right! It's not fair! _The cowboy's strong heart was quivering inside with longing for his princess friend whom over the years he'd come to think of and treat like a daughter, whom he would do his best to comfort in any possible way he could!

Jessie hung her head, staring sadly down at the floor."Come on, Jessie. She needs us," Buzz said soberly, taking his cowgirl's hand. "Uh, I think some of you should stay back up here." He turned to the other toys.

"Buzz is right," Woody agreed quietly. "We don't need everybody crowding in." Buzz helped Jessie down onto the desk chair, then to the floor. Woody was about to follow them when an unexpected voice stopped him.

"Do you know how I feel right about now?" Potato Head asked. Woody turned and stared at him, bewildered.

"No." Trixie answered quietly.

"Like a horrid, suspicious-minded, mistrustful cynic." Potato Head sighed. Woody couldn't help managing a weak grin. Then he went to join his other friends.

* * *

Just like so many other times through the past years, faithful old Slinky was already there. He hung his droopy head and cleared his throat. "Mitsy, I...I know you're sad right now, and...and I'm terribly sorry," he said quietly. "But I just want you to know that I'm right here for you."

"Th...thank you, Slinky," Mitsy whispered, barely audible and without lifting her head up. "Y-you're such a g-good f-friend, you always have b-been. You're always t-there. I know I c-can always c-count on y- _you."_ Slinky had to strain his ears to hear her muffled, quiet voice. She barely raised her head, and her chin rested on her arms. Slinky winced when he saw the heavy hurt and longing in her eyes and nervously shuffled his paws. He stood where he was, unsure of what to do but not wanting to leave.

Jessie knelt down beside her friend. "Mitsy?" She asked timidly. The princess didn't move. Jessie placed her hand on her shoulder. "Mitsy, I'm so sorry about Jack!" Mitsy jumped a little at the mention of his name. "That's awful. And I was wrong to doubt him. What he did was one of the most love-worthy things I've ever seen!"

Mitsy didn't answer or look at their faces. She just remained huddled against the wall, her eyes downcast. Her body language was extremely tense right now. Buzz slowly spoke up. "He was very courageous. Never once gave a thought to himself. He belonged with the best. Truly gallant."

"Yes," Jessie agreed. "He was a toy of integrity and honor. Speaking for myself, I'm the better for having known him."

"So am I! It's a real shame that we didn't meet a long time ago."

Mitsy gritted her teeth and leaned her head back up against the wall, a faraway, grief-filled expression on her face. Jessie felt hurt and shut out. Mitsy acted like their words hadn't even reached her ears. Ordinarily, she would've been hanging onto Jessie's hand for comfort, squeezing it in her sorrow. But no. She seemed to not even be acknowledging Buzz and Jessie's presence! Jessie's hand dropped to her side in defeat, and Buzz who was standing behind her, put his strong one on her shoulder. She reached her other hand up and clasped it over her protective husband's. Jessie felt horrible. Her husband's touch-his presence more than anything- was a tremendous support to her right now.

Mitsy _had_ heard their words, and she knew that Buzz and Jessie truly meant them, but she was so choked up that she couldn't really answer, or even bring herself to directly face them either. She was truly grateful for their friendship, but at this moment she felt a lingering hurt that would not go away: the earlier doubts they'd had about Jack. They were now all coming back to her, still fresh in her mind. She couldn't push them away. Now, Buzz, granted that he hadn't openly said anything against Jack, but he also had not exactly spoken up in the dog's defense either. There was only _one_ toy who had told Mitsy to her face that he believed her, -Slinky didn't need to. He'd already shown it.- that he _knew_ Jack was the toy of honor she'd always said. And right now in her greatest moment of need, _he_ was the one she really wanted to see more than anyone. Mitsy finally looked into Jessie's face. "W...where's Woody?" She asked shakily.

"Here I am, Little Bit," Woody said softly as he appeared. "I'm right here. It's gonna be okay." Mitsy very slowly raised her head. She winced when she looked into that dearly familiar, kind face of his. The grieving sadness in her eyes just about broke his heart. Her face was filled with hopeless longing. Oh, how he would've given _anything_ in the world to have been able to prevent this trouble! He knelt down in front of her. "I'm really sorry about Jack." He said. Mitsy squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of Jack's name, and gripped her arms even tighter. Woody reached a hand out and rubbed her shoulder gently. She just shook her head.

"Jack was a good dog. He was a real hero if ever I saw one!" Buzz said passionately.

"Thank you, Buzz," Mitsy said quietly, still keeping her eyes down, avoiding his. "Th...those are high words coming from you. He was my friend. And now he's gone...forever! And it's all _my_ fault!" Her voice was cracking.

"What? Mitsy, don't say that!" Woody protested. "It isn't true at all!"

"No, it isn't!" Jessie agreed. "Woody's right."

"If it wasn't for me he would still be alive!" Mitsy cried out. "There was trouble, and he threw himself in danger so _I_ wouldn't get hurt. And I'll never see him again! Ever!" She raised a clenched fist to her mouth, whimpering.

"Spike is the one who killed Jack, _not you!"_ Jessie said firmly, but not harshly. Mitsy bit her lip.

"Mitsy, you can't honestly believe that!" Buzz declared seriously. "There's no reason in the world for you to even think that it was your fault. It wasn't."

"Jessie's right, Mitsy. It was _Spike,_ _not you._ Look, Jack did what anyone caring would do if they saw a friend in trouble." Woody added. "That's what made him who he is...er, was." Mitsy nodded her head dejectedly. "And I'm really glad that we didn't lose _you,_ Little Bit! I don't know what we would've done if that had happened!" Woody squeezed her trembling hand. She kept her eyes down.

"Yes, I'm glad too!" Jessie exclaimed.

"Th-thanks to J..." Mitsy gulped hard, trying to keep back the choking sobs. "It...it didn't h-happen." She said lowly.

"Yes, thanks to Jack," Jessie said wistfully.

"We're all still together," Buzz spoke up. "And I'm right here for you, Mitsy. I promise."

"So am I!" Jessie cried, almost pleadingly.

"Me too," Slinky added.

"We all are, Mitsy. And we always will be." Woody said kindly, smiling.

Mitsy's lips quivered and she started shaking. Her cotton stomach inside was twisted in a suffocating knot. Here she was surrounded by love and family, but all the false accusations that had been uttered against Jack were overwhelming her right now, eating her heart out. She could still hear them, they were echoing in her head over and over, like a whip. Every time one of those attacking words were said in her memory, she could see that giant crate crash right on top of Jack, _her_ Jack! _Her_ dog, _her_ friend! This grinding pain and heavy loss was too heavy to bear! There was no way in the world this gagging weight was going to release her (or so she felt at the moment). It seemed just impossible! Unable to hold it in any longer, she gulped hard and broke out in convulsing sobs and covered her face with her hands.

"Aw, come here." Woody said tenderly with open arms. He pulled her close to himself and she threw her arms around his neck. Jessie glanced up painstakingly at Buzz, and all he could do was gaze into her eyes with equal pity. They'd never dealt with something like this before, and he felt so clueless as to how to help. Woody held Mitsy tight as she wailed heavily, and he sadly looked up helplessly at Buzz and Jessie for support. His face was constricted with grief, and his eyes were so pained as he cradled the princess as her heartbreak spilled out and echoed in the enormous room. Her terrible cries were painful to her friends' ears.

Jessie grew tense and her shoulders became rigid. She softly, silently wept herself and raised her hand to her mouth. "I think it's time to go home," Buzz finally said solemnly. He took Jessie's hand and helped her up. She clasped his hand close to her chest, and he put his other arm around her shoulder.

"You guys go ahead. I'll be there in a minute." Woody said, nodding his head. Buzz and Jessie slowly walked away to lead the other toys to the exit. However, they kept looking back to see if Woody was following yet. "Come on, Little Bit. We're going home!" Woody said in a determined voice, and he stood up and lifted her feet off the ground. He carried Mitsy away in his arms bridal-style, and tried to catch up with the others. He dismally glanced back in the direction of the Brick. Oh, he hated to leave Jack, the legendary but true to life hero behind, but Woody knew that the last thing Mitsy needed right now was to see Jack's torn, battered, smashed, ripped to shreds stuffed body, what was left of him. Besides, they really needed to get back to Jamie's apartment before Bonnie returned to go home. Woody heaved the limp, sad doll in his arms a little, as she'd actually started to feel a bit heavier before he redirected his focus back to Buzz and Jessie who were at the EXIT door, waiting for him.

* * *

"Oh, Buzz!" Jessie whispered in a quaking voice. She hung her head close to his face and her eyes were filled with hurt. "This is...horrible! I...I...it's all so...horrible." Her lips quivered. Buzz firmly gripped her shoulders, and affectionately stroked her hair.

"You're right," Buzz groaned in a low voice. He miserably glanced at the other toys, Trixie, Rex, and Potato Head who were standing close by, all with long faces. Then he saw a familiar, brown, cowboy hat swaying up and down as Woody came into view, safely carrying the devastated princess in his arms. Buzz grimaced at the sight, feeling just awful about this whole mess, but then his sense of duty took over and he lifted his head up. "Let's go, everyone," he said in a strong tone and turned to open the door. Jessie glanced at her brother and Mitsy, and sadly, subconsciously pulled on her braid.

Woody was still coming toward them, taking slow, heavy steps. Mitsy sadly gazed up at him. "Woody?" She cried, her face brimming with heartbreak.

"Yes, honey?" Woody asked tenderly, looking down into her aching blue eyes.

"Oh, Woody! I want to die too!" She wailed. "I wish I was dead!" Then she buried her face back into his shoulder and clutched his vest, weeping. Woody looked up helplessly at the ceiling. His brows furrowed in sympathy and sadness. After all they'd been through together over the years, at this moment he felt so at a loss of what to do or say. How was he supposed to help her through _this?_

"I know, Mitsy." Was all he could say, nodding his head. "I know." Slinky walked right at the cowboy's heels.

* * *

" **You've got a friend in me, You've got a friend in me; When the road looks rough ahead, and you're miles and miles from your nice, warm bed, You just remember what your old pal said. Boy, you've got a friend in me; You've got a friend in me."-Randy Newman**


	4. Chapter 4 Going Home

**I know. So sad. If you can, please keep reading. Yes, I've included some Buzz/Jessie shots.**

* * *

Buzz opened the exit door and they all walked out of the warehouse into the night. "How are we going to get back to Bonnie?" Rex asked.

"We'll find a way." Jessie sighed.

"How about pizza?" Trixie suggested. All the toys blinked at her, bewildered.

"What are you talking about?" Buzz asked. "Trixie, there's a time to be serious and a time to be funny. Right now funny doesn't apply here."

"I wasn't being funny. Look." She tilted her head toward across the parking lot to the one of the company next door to the warehouse. Sitting there was a good old Pizza Planet delivery truck!

"Nice!" Buzz smiled. "Good thinking, Trixie. Come on!" The toys rushed to the truck and helped each other sneak into the back of the vehicle.

"What if we're spotted?" Jessie asked.

"Don't worry, Jessie. We're old hands at this." Buzz grinned.

"I definitely remember that." Potato Head remarked.

"Me too!" Rex chimed in.

"So do I!" Slinky added.

"What are you guys talking about?" Trixie asked curiously. "I'm a little lost." Buzz and the others told the story of how he'd driven the Pizza Planet truck years ago to save Woody, and unknowingly at the time Jessie and Bullseye, from being sent to Japan. Trixie was fascinated.  
"What a great story! I sure wish I'd been there." She smiled.

"That ain't even the half of it." Potato Head said.

"Really? Oh, tell me more!" Trixie begged, very intrigued.

The toys were occasionally tossed back and forth as the truck drove along. No matter what occurred, Mitsy stayed close to Woody the whole time. She was glued to him. As they sat in the truck, he kept his arm around her, rubbing her shoulder, and patting her small head. She didn't say anything, though Woody engaged himself in the others' conversations. Slinky was right by the two of them. He was not about to leave their sides.

* * *

The delivery man stopped at a gas station. Rex looked out the window and started screeching. "Everybody! Everybody! Guess what? Bonnie's in the car right across from us! Over there! Look! Look!"

"Really?" Woody gasped, wide-eyed.

"What?" Mitsy asked with a hint of fatigue in her voice.

"No foolin'?" Slinky barked.

"She is?" Jessie asked excitedly, rising to her feet.

"Are you sure, Rex?" Buzz asked.

"She can't be," Potato Head said. "You've got to be kidding."

"Guys, he's right. She _is."_ Trixie corrected.

"Her aunt stopped to get some gas too." Buzz declared. "Let's go, guys." While no humans were looking, the toys snuck out the window of the bed of the truck, and when the coast was clear, scurried across the pavement. Buzz climbed onto Rex's head and popped the trunk, opening it only enough for them all to crawl in. Slinky, Mitsy, Rex, and Trixie hid in the picnic basket while Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and Potato Head climbed into the food tote bag that had a zipper on it.

Inside the tote bag, by the light of his green glow and the small bit of light they had with the zipper open, Buzz could see that Jessie looked miserable. She wasn't shaking or gasping for air, but she looked incredibly unhappy and lonely. He climbed over Woody, the containers of snacks, and Potato Head and leaned close to his wife. "Jessie, what's the matter?" Buzz asked. "Are you okay? Don't be scared. Do you want me to open the zipper some more? I know it's dark in here, but I'm here with you."

"No. It's not that, Buzz. I'm okay. Thanks." Jessie answered sadly. But her husband knew better. Normally, Jessie hated the dark, but this time she was grateful for it so that Woody and Potato Head couldn't see her dismal countenance and pester her with questions.

"No." Buzz interjected in a low voice. "Something's bothering you, what's wrong? Tell me."

Jessie looked down dejectedly, biting her lip. "I...I...I think Mitsy's angry with me." She whimpered.

"Mitsy? Angry with _you_? Why would she be?" Buzz sputtered.

"I think she's still upset with me, because of the things I said about Jack _before."_

"Oh." Buzz groaned. _How could I miss that?_ He scolded himself. "Well, I think she's just overwhelmed with all that's happened, and who could blame her?"

"Buzz, you saw what happened. It isn't the silence that's bothering me. That's to be expected with her loss. But...but didn't you notice?" Jessie looked longingly into the Space Ranger's eyes. "Why, she...she won't even look at me! Not at all. She won't face you either. Don't tell me she's just had a hard time. No. She's angry with us! I thought...I thought things were square between us, but I was wrong. What if...what if she never speaks to us again? We…" Jessie gulped and squeezed her eyes shut. Buzz gently rubbed her shoulder. "We almost lost her!" Jessie cried in a low voice. "She was almost killed! And now...now, I think we're losing her again: as a friend!" Jessie sniffled.

Buzz grabbed his wife's small hand. "It'll be okay, Jessie," he said soothingly. "She probably is disappointed with us. She's been terribly hurt by all of this. But I _don't_ think that it will last forever. If I know Mitsy well enough, I'm _sure_ she'll forgive us. I _know_ she will. Remember? She didn't shove your hand away when you tried to comfort her. We just have to wait 'til she's ready. Right now, the best thing we can do is just be a friend to her, _show_ her that we're here for her, just like we do for Bonnie when she needs us. You'll see."

"I hope you're right." Jessie said nervously, clasping his hand and holding it up against her face.

"I am." Buzz smiled and he lightly kissed her lips. _"_ _And I'm so glad we're still together."_ He whispered, thankful that nobody had really had a chance to attack his special cowgirl. She wearily rested her head on his shoulder and he set his chin on top of her face as she clasped his arm with both hands.

"He's right, Jess," Woody spoke up, looking at his two best friends. "That's the best thing we can do right now." Woody was sitting in the other corner, his arms folded across his knees. _Why did this have to happen? It's horrible._ _I wish there was something,_ _ **anything**_ _I could do to make it less hurtful! But there's nothing. When Bonnie decided to bring us with her on her road trip, I never expected anything like this!_ _What can I do? Not much._

Potato Head didn't speak to anybody. He was consumed with his own guilty thoughts. _I'm a rotten louse, that's what I am. I never have anything good to say. Next time I open my big mouth, anyone has permission to rip it out! Now I wish Woody had let her! Maybe this wouldn't be so bad._ _What a mess_ _ **I've**_ _made of this whole thing!_ _I was no help at all!_

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the picnic basket, Rex was standing on the floor and Trixie was perched on top of the large thermos, sticking her head out of the lid. Mitsy was lying on the bottom of the basket, curled in a fetal position, with her hands clenched. Slinky was right beside her. Trixie wanted to know some more about Andy's former toys' other adventures, so Rex excitedly filled her in. Slinky gave his input once in a while, but wasn't really in the mood for thinking about some of their past quirks. He clasped Mitsy's hand between his paws and she looked at him gratefully, but her face so full of grief that it tugged at Slinky's heart. Eventually, the conversation died down, but the two dinosaurs and the dog could hear little sniffles. Trixie glanced down at the sad duo on the floor. She cocked her head. "Are...are you okay, Mitsy?" She asked quietly, unsure of what else to say. The princess didn't answer, she just moaned.

"W-we're...we're together," Rex said timidly, trying to give some sort of consolation. "We're all safe. Bonnie will be happy to see us."

"Yeah." Trixie sighed. "It's all right, Mitsy. We'll be home soon."

* * *

When Bonnie's aunt reached the apartment, she set the basket and the bag on the kitchen floor. "Bonnie, your mom's almost here." She said. "You need to gather your stuff." While Bonnie grabbed her coloring book and art supplies from the living room, her toys raced back to Jamie's bedroom and shut the door. Belle, Doc McStuffins, Cleo, Timmy, and the others came rushing up to them.

"What happened to you guys?!" Myles asked anxiously.

"You've been gone for hours!" Cleo exclaimed.

"Did anything happen?" Timmy asked. "I thought you all got lost or something."

"Listen, guys." Woody spoke up. "Bonnie will be here in a few minutes to take us home. Sorry we don't have time to tell you everything, but yes, we've had a very frightening experience."

"It's a miracle any of us made it back here!" Rex blurted. Jamie's toys gasped.

"And he's not exaggerating this time." Potato Head said.

"Oh, dear. Is anybody hurt?" Doc McStuffins asked.

"We're all still in one piece, but thanks for asking," Buzz sighed.

"Mitsy, are you okay?" Belle asked with concern when she noticed the pain-stricken countenance on the younger princess's face.

"You don't look well at all." Doc stated. "As a matter of fact, you look _very_ sick." Mitsy opened her mouth, but no words came out. Slinky stepped forward a little.

"We ain't got time for explanations," Slinky hung his head, speaking up for his companion, "but she lost her best friend. He got killed tonight!"

"That's...that's just dreadful!" Timmy exclaimed, grasping his head with his flippers.

"Oh! Come here, dear. Let me give you a quick hug before you have to leave." Belle said softly, with her arms outstretched. Mitsy winced and ran to her, and Belle lovingly wrapped her arms around her.

"You sure you're all okay?" Doc McStuffins asked.

"Well, my head still does hurt some," Woody said, rubbing his forehead as if to confirm the point, "but I expect it'll go away."

"Oh?" Doc raised her eyebrows. "Here, let me take a look." And she stepped toward him.

"Oh on, no...it...it'll be okay, I'm sure," Woody protested.

"Nonsense." Doc replied. "Just kneel down on the floor for me."

"I'll be fine." Woody insisted.

"Let her help you, Woody," Buzz said. Woody sighed and complied.

"Can you take your hat off for me, please?" Doc instructed, and Woody did as he was told. "Ooo. You have a small but noticeable dent in your head." Woody winced. "Okay, this might hurt, but just sit still for me. Could you get down a little closer to the floor? I'm going to see if I can smooth it out." The doll firmly pressed on Woody's sore head and he grimaced a little. "Did you have your hat on when you were hit?"

"Uh-huh. Youch. Ah, that hurt." Woody groaned quietly. Buzz and Jessie looked at him with sympathy.

"There. That should be fine. How do you feel?"

"Uhm...better, actually. It only hurts a little bit now. Thanks." Woody grinned.

"It's a good thing you had your hat on when you received that blow," Doc said seriously. "If not, you could've gotten a concussion or worse."

"Eee. Well, thanks for the help." Woody stood up and put his hat back on.

Belle held Mitsy close and stroked her hair gently. Mitsy held onto her tightly, taking in the warm embrace and for a moment she was taken back through the years and it felt like _Bo Peep's_ arms were around her again, comforting her again. "I'm so sorry, dear," Belle whispered sweetly. "I know how you feel." Mitsy slowly looked up at her and Belle smiled kindly. "You're not alone. You have an owner and friends who care about you." Mitsy nodded.

"Bonnie's coming!" Jessie announced. Belle quickly gave Mitsy another hug before letting go, and the toys became limp as they heard footsteps coming their way.

"Thanks for everything, guys. See ya." Woody said quietly, just before Bonnie opened the door and Jamie followed her. Her toys remained frozen as Bonnie packed them into her wheeled tote.

* * *

Inside the bag, the toys were curiously examining the souvenirs and prizes that Bonnie had gotten at the theme park that day. Mitsy was huddled in the corner, away from the others, sitting on Bonnie's folded pajamas with her knees drawn up to her chin and her arms wrapped around herself. Slinky was right there with her, ever faithfully at her side, refusing to leave. She'd been very quiet the whole time, with downcast eyes and looking so...so lost. It's not that the other toys were ignoring the tragedy, but they were trying to act normal, plus they didn't know what to say to her. Woody kept up his sharp vigil though, wondering if he should go over there and take her in his arms or just give her some space and leave her be. He couldn't figure out which she needed more of.

Buzz and Jessie were sitting together on a small pile of books, listening to Rex and Trixie jabber on about Bonnie's neat new stuff. They'd both been watching Mitsy, almost as much as Woody, Jessie not sure what to do but anxious to do _something._ Buzz whispered something to her and she stared at him questioningly. His grin was insistent. Jessie took a deep breath, smiled and tried to muster up a friendly voice. "Mitsy?" She asked cheerily. "Would you like to come over here and sit with me?" She patted the book she and Buzz were sitting on. Mitsy slowly raised her head and Jessie waited. _Please say 'yes'. Please say 'yes'!_ Jessie pleaded inside. She wanted to help the princess so badly, but she'd felt a dismal distance had come between them since they'd found her mourning by herself. Mitsy nodded, which made Jessie's heart want to burst with relief and happiness. Buzz stood up, more than willing to let the princess have his spot as she walked over and snuggled up next to the cowgirl. She leaned on Jessie's chest and started to quietly cry a bit. Buzz sat down next to them and sympathetically patted the back of Mitsy's head while Jessie kept her arms protectively around her sisterly friend, glad to finally have the loving, needed contact with her. She and Buzz looked at each other with sadly furrowed brows but slightly smiled. Jessie hugged her friend tighter.

"I bet you and Trixie will be glad to continue your game." Woody said to Rex, _trying_ to chase away the heavy cloud that seemed to be sitting in the bag with them. Rex and Trixie started rambling on about their computer game. Everyone made small talk, trying to get some normal conversation, but Woody and Slinky both noticed that Mitsy didn't participate in it at all, which was _not_ like her. Slinky walked over and sat beside Woody, his best pal. They looked at each other sadly. _Man, I hate this whole thing!_ Woody's thoughts churned inside. _It's not fair. This was a cruel blow in her life. I can't imagine the impact of pain she's going through right now. Oh, don't despair, Mitsy!_ His own throbbing heart called out. _We're you're family, and we're going to do all that we possibly can to help you get through this! I'll protect you. I'm here for you. I'll look after you,_ _ **for Jack.**_ _I promise!_ He gripped his sheriff's badge, which lay right over his heart, his caring heart. Slinky glanced up at him sadly, and Woody patted his faithful old friend's head.

" _He_ _ **was**_ _a good friend,"_ Slinky whispered in an exhausted voice.

"Yeah," Woody agreed. "I'm just glad we've still got each other." He rubbed Slinky's ears as the dog quietly rested his head on the cowboy's knees. Woody leaned back against the wall and sighed heavily. It had been a long night for all of them. Slinky placed his paw on Woody's legs.

"Yep." Slinky whispered again. "I can't wait to be home again."

"Me too," Woody whispered, shaking his head. He was all in, but too concerned about Mitsy to even fall asleep. He wouldn't be able to rest at all until he laid eyes on Bonnie's bedroom again: home.

A short while later, Mitsy's head was tilting as she leaned on Jessie's shoulder, the cowgirl's arm wrapped around her. _"Hey, you wan_ _na_ _rest your head on my lap? You can."_ Jessie sweetly offered. Mitsy nodded and signed 'thank you', then wearily lay her head in Jessie's lap like a little child, with the cowgirl stroking her hair. Woody smiled at Jessie who smiled back. He was glad for his sister, that her friendship with Mitsy had been restored, and Buzz smiled widely at his wife. He was standing now, but she leaned her head back against his chest and he lovingly gripped her shoulder. Mitsy was sound asleep when they reached the Anderson house.

* * *

After Bonnie set down her wheeled tote and left the room to take her bath before bedtime, Buzz unzipped it. Woody stomped out first, carrying Mitsy in his arms. She was still sleeping. Buzz and Jessie followed him, as did Slinky. "Ah, welcome back..." Mr. Pricklepants started to say, but stopped. He and the other toys looked bewildered. Their friends had just returned from an exciting trip with Bonnie, and none of them were happy or eager to talk about it. In fact, they all seemed disheartened. The other toys looked confused, but they all sensed that something was dreadfully wrong. "Sheriff, what's this?" Mr. Pricklepants asked.

"Something's really amiss here," Hamm commented lowly.

"What's wrong?" Peanelope asked.

"Woody, is everything all right?" Dolly asked as she came running up to him. He shook his head. "Is she hurt?" Woody bit his lip, trying to figure out how to answer that one. Mitsy wasn't physically injured, but in his arms, she _was_ one limp bundle of sadness.

"Uh-huh. But not the way you're thinking." Woody groaned as he carried her to Bonnie's bed.

"What's going on?" Buttercup asked.

"The poor dear." Mrs. Potato Head cried. "Oh, Darling! What on earth happened?" Her husband looked very wretched as she gripped his arms.

"You'll find out." He muttered.

Dolly fluffed up Bonnie's pillow, then helped Woody tuck Mitsy in securely under the covers. Jessie and Slinky stayed nearby. Buzz groaned and turned away quickly on his heel. "Buzz?" Jessie asked, concern in her eyes and pulling on her braid.

"Guys, _what_ is going on?" Dolly asked. "You're creeping me out."

"Dolly, I...we," Woody stammered.

"Everybody, come over here," someone announced from the middle of the room. Woody and Jessie glanced at each other questioningly, then towards the voice. It was...Buzz. All the toys on the floor gathered around him. "Everyone, we...we had a disaster," Buzz continued. "And...and unfortunately, this one claimed a life." The toys who didn't know about this all gasped.

"Oh, how absolutely tragic!" Mrs. Potato Head cried out. "That's horrible!" She clung to her husband.

"I can't believe it." Buttercup responded, shaking his head. "That's just terrible."

"How awful!" Pricklepants exclaimed. "Positively heart-wrenching."

"What does Mr. Lightyear mean by that? What did he say? Why is everyone upset?" Peanelope asked Trixie.

"It means that someone died," Trixie answered somberly. The little peas all gasped and huddled together. Buzz told them about Jack and that Mitsy wasn't going to be herself for a while. Slinky stayed on the bed with the princess while Jessie, Dolly, and Woody climbed down. Bullseye slowly walked over to Jessie and nuzzled his nose under her arm. She sadly smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Woody came and stood next to Buzz.

"Look, guys," Woody began. "We appreciate your concern, and we all know you want to do something to help. Right now, we need to keep the atmosphere in here as normal as possible. Try not to stare at Mitsy all the time, that will overwhelm or make her uncomfortable. Just be considerate of her. Just be friendly. And...and it would probably be best if you don't talk much about this situation with her. Unless she opens up about it, don't say too much. Give her space too. There's probably going to be times when she'll want to be alone. This isn't going to an easy time, but if we all work together and let her know that we care about her, just like we do for Bonnie, I think that will help our princess more than anything."

"Woody's right, folks." Buzz added. "We've had a really rough night and need to recuperate. We'll explain later what all happened tonight, but Bonnie's going to come to bed soon, so let's make sure she doesn't find us wearing long faces." As the toys began to go their separate ways, a hand touched Woody's arm.

"Is there anything I can do?" Woody turned to see Chuckles staring at him with a forlorn look. "Is there _something_ I can do to help?" Woody weakly smiled at the clown.

"Be a friend, Chuckles." Woody said quietly. "Just be a friend."

* * *

During the night, Jessie could hear crying from her sleeping spot in the bean bag where she and Buzz had been dozing. She gingerly freed herself from his embrace and shimmied off, and quietly hopped onto the bed, being careful not to wake their owner, and tip-toed to the foot of the bed where Mitsy was sitting halfway up against the board, half-asleep and weeping softly. Jessie leaned down and cradled her friend in her arms. "I'm here, Mitsy. It's okay. It's going to be all right," the cowgirl said softly.

From his sleeping spot close to Bonnie's hand, Woody heard something and instantly woke up. He would be there if someone who had trouble sleeping needed him. He sat up, looking around. He saw Mitsy, safely wrapped up in his sister's arms. It sounded like Jessie was quietly, gently crooning to her. Then he became distinctly aware of the lyrics:

" _You've got a friend in me, You've got a friend in me;_

 _You've got troubles, and I've got 'em too._

 _There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you; We stick together and see it through,_

 _'Cause you've got a friend in me._

 _You've got a friend in me."_

When the song was finished, Woody cautiously stood up and slowly approached the two dolls. He hesitated, not sure whether to give his sister a hand, or leave them be and let her have this alone time with the princess after the small wedge in their relationship earlier. "Jess?" Woody whispered, when he was only a few inches away. The cowgirl slightly turned her head toward him. "Jess? You all right?" She nodded sadly. "Do you want me to sit with you?"

"If you want," Jessie whispered back, shrugging her shoulders. "But you don't have to."

Woody still wasn't sure what would be the wise thing to do. He bit his lip and knelt down next to Jessie, who still had her arms clasped around the princess. Mitsy was almost asleep, but still whimpering softly. Woody reached out his arm and gently rubbed Mitsy's back, underneath her wavy hair. "Shhh." He whispered softly. "We're both here, Mitsy. It's okay. We're gonna get you through this...somehow. We love you." Mitsy still clung to Jessie, but she seemed to relax when even in her drowsy state, she sensed Woody's presence. Her feeble cries started to die down and her breathing started to become even as she lapsed into sound sleep. Jessie smiled and Woody put his arm affectionately around the cowgirl's shoulders. He squeezed her arm and smiled back. Jessie rested her head on his strong shoulder, savoring the strength that came from his support. "You gonna be okay?" Woody asked her lowly.

"Sure." Jessie grinned sadly. Woody started to stand and patted her arm. "Thanks a lot, Big Bro. You're such a comfort to me." Jessie looked up at him gratefully.

"You need to get some sleep too." He answered.

"I will," Jessie said, but it was clear that she wasn't ready.

"You're a good friend, Jess. Bless ya." Woody smiled. Then he lied down again, close to Bonnie. He softly stroked her hand, yet hoping it wouldn't wake her. In her sleep, she wrapped her arm around him tighter. It was so good to be home again, with their kid, and all together. He started to fall asleep, but looked up to check on Jessie. She was still where he'd left her, and was gently rocking Mitsy back and forth in her arms. Woody smiled wearily, and lay his head back down. Mitsy was in good hands tonight.

"Thanks, Jess," Woody whispered warmly.

* * *

Buzz leaned over on his side in the bean bag and reached over to stroke his wife's hair. His subconscious state instantly snapped to full alertness when he didn't feel the cowgirl's presence. He opened his eyes wide and sat straight up. Where was his wife? "Jessie? Jessie?" He whispered loudly. After the frightening experience tonight, he was filled with worry wondering where she was. He stood up and after a few awkward steps, dismounted from the comfy cushion. He tip-toed around on the hard wood floor, hoping not to disturb the other toys. "Jessie?" Then he stopped when he thought he heard a voice, and not just any voice... _her_ voice.

" _Shh. We're safe now."_ Jessie whispered from somewhere up above Buzz's head. Buzz snapped his fingers then quietly climbed up the comforter. He sighed with relief: there she was, sitting up straight, hugging the emotionally broken princess doll. But her own head was swaying to and fro and her eyes shut. Buzz quietly stepped forward. Jessie suddenly jerked her head up and fluttered her eyes open, but barely. Buzz could see the worn care and emotion on her face. She opened her eyes wide, staring at him. "H-hey," Jessie sighed.

"Are you all right?" Buzz asked as he faced her.

"I'm fine. I just want to make sure _she_ is." Jessie responded, then yawned. Buzz briefly took his eyes off the cowgirl and gazed at the princess. She was sound asleep, but her arms limply hung around Jessie. Buzz came forward and knelt down in front of them.

"Looks like you're doing a fine job," he smiled. "But, I think it's time you came to bed." Jessie glanced at him sadly.

"Buzz, I...I can't leave her," Jessie shook her head. "I just can't. She needs me." Buzz smiled at her caring manner and concern.

"You've served your purpose tonight, Jess. It's been an incredibly rough one and we need some sleep. You need your rest. Come on. Mitsy will be fine. And we'll just be right over there. We can hear her if she needs us during the night." Jessie hung her head. Buzz snapped his fingers again. "I'll be right back."

When he returned, he was grinning widely. "Okay, Jess. Let's go to bed. Bring her." Jessie tried to shift her position and stand up, but her legs and feet had gone to sleep from being in one position for so long. She grimaced. "Here, let me give you a hand." Buzz came forward and held the dozing princess in a standing position with one arm, and firmly gripped Jessie's with his other hand. He pulled her up.

"Ugh, thanks," Jessie sighed before another yawn took over her face.

"Hey, Mitsy? Come on, Your Highness. Come with me. I'll be back for you, Jess." Buzz said, trying to wake Mitsy. He shook her face a little, and she grunted. He helped her down from the bed, then walked her over to the cot he'd placed on the floor for her, made from an afghan he'd taken from the closet. It was right beside his and Jessie's spot: this way, Jessie could be at Mitsy's side tonight if she had trouble sleeping. "Here you go." Buzz smiled. Mitsy drowsily dropped to her knees on the cot and fell forward. In less than 3 seconds, she was out again. Buzz gently placed her cape around her shoulders. "Rest well, princess." Then he came back for Jessie. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her long legs dangling over the side. She was doubled over.

"Thank you, Buzz," Jessie whispered in a smile before she closed her eyes and fell forward! Buzz scurried over and caught her safely in his arms before she hit the floor. Jessie was exhausted from all the horrible trauma that had happened tonight, they all were, really. But Buzz was glad that it was finally all catching up to her and now she was getting some much needed, overdue rest. She sleepily gripped her arm on his chest plate and leaned her head comfortably back against his shoulder. She sighed contentedly, then was out completely. Buzz smiled and kissed her forehead before he lovingly, steadily carried her back to the bean bag.


	5. Chapter 5 Under the Bed

**Okay. As you can see, no, Chapter 4 was not the last one! Yes, I have noticed that Buzz and Woody, in the movies, both got broken arms, Buzz in Toy Story and Woody in Toy Story2.**

 **I was hoping to post this chapter sooner or at least complete it, but both my family and I came down with a brief but awful stomach flu during the week, which slowed things down, though I feel better now than I was.**

 **Just so no one gets confused, Mitsy's relationship with Jack is not romance. She's a dog lover. So far, I don't have a romantic interest for her yet in any of my fanfics, though small ideas are in the back of my head with nothing definite. I am open to ideas or suggestions regarding that.**

 **I also do not want to make of all my fanfics centered on the princess either. I am trying to work on that. I do have one family centered one that I haven't posted yet, because it is taking me so very long to get it all together. I'm trying to make the beginning more interesting before I post it.**

 **There's a bit of Buzz/Jessie in here, and it mentions Bo Peep.**

 **Thank you, everyone who has reviewed! Thank you very much.**

* * *

The next morning, while everyone else tried to keep up their normal routines with Bonnie enjoying her spring break by spending the day at the water park, Mitsy spent the entire day hiding under Bonnie's bed where she could be alone and grieve without causing a disturbance. Slinky came to her and stayed in for most of that morning. He didn't say much, he just sat there with her, for which she was grateful. They kept a portion of the bed's blanket lifted up so they had a bit of light peeking in, but not too much. Jessie and Dolly frequently checked on her.

By late morning, Woody came. He knelt down beside the sad princess. "Sorry I took so long," he said, smiling. "But I wanted to catch up on some things." He placed a soothing hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right, honey?" He asked tenderly. Mitsy sadly looked up at him, grateful for his presence but unable to answer. She shook her head. Woody stared sympathetically at her and pulled her into his arms, giving the princess a warm hug. She leaned her head on her fatherly friend's shoulder and held onto him for a few minutes. She always felt safe and protected in Woody's hugs. They spoke security to her. Sadly, in the past there had been a few times that he hadn't shown her this parental affection when she needed it badly, but only a _handful_ that she could recall _._ "Shh. It's all right." Woody said quietly, patting her back. Then she sat back against the wall. "We're all here for you, Little Bit. You're not alone. You've got some good friends out there." Mitsy nodded. "Well, I have some things I've got to do. But I will be back to check on you later. If you need me, I'll be around." He squeezed her hand. "Please don't hesitate if you need me for something." Mitsy nodded again and signed _thank you._ Woody lightly kissed her forehead, smiled and then left.

During mid-afternoon, Mitsy was still under there hugging her knees and looking forlorn when a very, very unexpected voice spoke to her. "Excuse me, Your Highness."

Mitsy looked flabbergasted. "P-Potato Head?" She sputtered.

"Do you mind if I come in?" Potato Head asked lowly. His wife was standing at his side.

"N...no. You can come in, if...if you want to," Mitsy stammered. The melancholy spud came next to her. Mrs. Potato Head clasped the princess in a sweet hug.

"Oh, you poor dearie." She cried. "What happened to you was just horrible!"

"It was horrible for all of us," Mitsy corrected her as Mrs. Potato Head released her. Mr. Potato Head just miserably stared at the floor, nodding his agreement. Mitsy stared at him, confused. "Is...is something wrong?"

He removed his hat. "Yes, _there_ is."

"Is your family okay?"

"Yes, they're fine." Mrs. Potato Head answered. "We were worried about you."

"Oh, well, thank you." Was all she could answer, but she noticed that the male spud was still very silent. "What is it? What's the matter?" Mitsy asked him.

"Me," Potato Head said flatly.

"What's wrong, Potato Head?"

"Me. _I was wrong."_ Potato Head groaned. Mitsy just gaped, eyes wide and brows raised. "You were right about...about Jack." Her eyes grew pained at the mention of her friend's name. Potato Head continued. "I was very wrong about him. Totally wrong. And I was pretty rough on you too. I just want you to know how terribly sorry I am. I don't blame you if you hate me."

Mitsy smiled warmly. "Oh, no. No. I do _not_ hate you. I...I guess," Mitsy sniffled a little, "all...all these years I built him up to such a high standard that, I...I guess it made you all feel like you could never measure up to his character. I'm sorry! Maybe...maybe that's why he died. Because I put him on a pedestal that no one else could imitate. I'm sorry. I never, ever meant to do that! Honest!"

"Oh, no, darling." Mrs. Potato Head protested, wrapping her arms around the princess, letting her lean on her shoulder. "He _was_ a hero, and you admired him for it. There's nothing wrong with that." She gently stroked Mitsy's face.

"I only said all those good things about...about him because I _knew_ they were true! But I...I'm sorry I was so mean to you, and called you nasty names. I still can't believe I said those things!"

"No need to make an apology, sweet girl." Mrs. Potato Head said. "He probably earned it."

"Eh, forget it. I was asking for it." Her husband answered. "I've learned an important lesson here, and that is that at times when things look darkest for us, that's when we need to help and trust each other the most. That has _never_ been my strong point, and it seems like I often end up learning the hard way. But after what happened to...after what happened, I won't forget it in a hurry! It's terrible that it was a very expensive lesson, at someone else's cost!

'I hope you understand that I only wanted us all to be safe. I was trying to protect you guys. I didn't want us all to be betrayed again, you know what I mean?'"

"I...I think I do," Mitsy said softly, nodding.

"But, being the Mr. Negative that I am, the accusing things I said...I don't know. It was just the first thing that came out of my mouth. I'm truly sorry."

"Thank you, Potato Head," Mitsy smiled wistfully, still amazed at the wonder of this rare moment. "I'm sorry too. And...and I'm so glad we're friends. Really." Mrs. Potato Head hugged her and Mitsy smiled at the kind lady who was a much needed rosy ray in the toys' lives.

"I just want to say two more things." Mr. Potato Head said seriously."One, I'm really sorry for what you're having to go through at this time. And..and I have a tremendous respect for...for _him.'"_ Mitsy was very touched. She signed _thank you_ to him and the two spuds left together, hand in hand.

The only time that day that Mitsy came out from under the bed was during playtime with Bonnie. True to his word, Woody did return to see how she was. It was the same scenario between them. That night, Jessie sat with Mitsy and told her about everybody's activities that day.

* * *

Earlier in the afternoon, Buzz and Woody had told all the toys about how they'd been taken hostage by the Spikes Toy Gang and how Jack had saved them, though they left out the deeply dark details so as not to frighten the younger toys. But that night, after everyone and Bonnie was in bed, Woody quietly slipped out of his owner's arms to find Buzz. He found the Space Ranger in the toy basket, sitting with Jessie. Woody cleared his throat and the two toys looked up at him. "Can I come in, please?" Woody asked anxiously.

"Sure." Buzz said uneasily, surprised that Woody hadn't apologized for disturbing them or teased them the way he usually did. Something was obviously bothering the cowboy. Jessie stared at her brother, annoyed that he'd pretty much barged in on her and Buzz's alone time, but also curious as to why he did it so insistently. Woody climbed down from the lid of the basket. It was mostly dark, except for a flashlight standing straight up and Buzz's green glow.

"Sorry I'm bothering you guys," Woody said quietly, "but can we talk? Please?"

"Certainly, cowboy." Buzz answered. He was observing his friend's dejected appearance closely. Something was pressing heavily on the sheriff's mind.

"Sorry, Jess, but...uh, I think it might be best if Buzz and I talk alone. Okay?" Woody asked.

"Why?" Jessie asked. "Woody, you can talk in front of me. It's okay."

"Jess, _please?"_

"But..." Buzz touched Jessie's hand.

"Jessie," he spoke up firmly. "You go ahead. You can come back when we're done. I promise. But Woody apparently really needs to get something off his chest." Jessie looked disappointed, but she stood up.

"Oh, all right," she sighed. "I hope talking about whatever it is helps you ease up, Bro." She smiled at Woody who nodded gratefully. "Remember, Buzz!" She stared at her husband sharply. "I can come back when you two fellas are finished. You promised!"

"I'll remember," Buzz chuckled at his spirited wife. Then she climbed out, leaving the two guys to themselves.

"Thanks, Buzz!" Woody sighed heavily and plopped down hard next to his best friend. He was extremely grateful that it was just the two of them.

"What's up, cowboy?" Buzz asked, concerned. "What's the matter, Woody? You seem pretty disturbed about something. Why did you ask Jessie to leave?"

"I...I didn't want to give her nightmares," Woody said flatly, shaking his head.

Buzz gaped, not sure where this was all headed. "Oh. Well, what's bothering you? You can tell me, Woody. I can handle it. You really need to release it." He gripped his friend's arm.

Woody took a deep breath, then faced the brave Space Ranger. "Well, Buzz," he began. "You don't know what all happened back at the warehouse while you and the others stayed in the storage room."

"That's true. I don't." Buzz stated simply.

"Well, when we returned, remember Slinky mentioned that we'd gotten caught?"

"Yeah," Buzz nodded.

"We didn't just _get caught._ A lot more happened, much more. I thought you should know about it. I figured I could tell _you."_

"Sure." Buzz answered, preparing himself for whatever Woody was going to spill.

"Well, we hid under a cart in the shadows when we heard voices. It was Spike and the crocodile. They passed us and kept walking. I had Slinky stay under a cart while Mitsy and I went on ahead. The two crooks entered an air vent in the wall, while we hid under a box. After they left, I told her to give me the pipe, then I crawled out to see if I could see Jack in the vent. Then I was stopped by the cat, the scorpion, and the robot. They attacked me and grabbed the pipe from my hands, then clunked me on the head with it! I passed out."

"We heard Misty yell your name from a distance," Buzz said. "We were worried. We knew that something must have happened to you, and I wanted so badly to come out and find you guys! But I couldn't leave Jessie and the others behind, unprotected. It killed me to do it, but I stayed with them."

"When I came to," Woody continued, "it was kind of dark and Mitsy was trying to wake me. Man, did my head hurt! I felt like someone had laden my noggin inside with bricks! Anyway, it turns out that we were in a sealed box..." Woody explained about the conversation he and the princess had had, and how they'd flipped over the box, hoping to kick the flaps open. "Then we heard the tape being cut." Woody said. "I thought it was you, Buzz, coming to get us out of there!"

"Was it Jack instead?" Buzz asked. "And _he_ got you out?" Woody's face fell and he bit his lip.

"No, Buzz. No! It wasn't!" Woody exclaimed, and Buzz's eyes widened in growing dread. "It was the gang! Whole band of them." Buzz gaped, astonished. "Their faces were so ugly with creepy smiles that it'd make you cringe. Mitsy was really scared, and I tried to shield her by keeping her behind me against the wall. They came closer and closer to us! I didn't know what to do, Buzz! We had absolutely nothing to protect ourselves with! Then Spike came in, and my heart sank, and Mitsy clung to me tighter. They demanded to know how we'd gotten out of the closet. That Sniper fired needles at us, but, thankfully, they ended up in the box wall. I begged them to just let us go, for all the good that did! Then...then they charged at us!"

"Oh, man," Buzz gulped, putting his arm around his friend's shoulder. "What happened? What did you do?"

"So much was going on at once, that I can't tell exactly all that happened! I shoved Mitsy away and told her to run and get out. The next thing I knew, I was swarmed and they were beating up on me really hard, but I couldn't escape because they had me pinned down!" Buzz shook his head, but his eyes were locked on Woody's pained face. "Then, the crocodile was leering over me, with a hammer close to my face. He was taunting me, but I couldn't get away!"

"Did Mitsy get out and find Jack, and he came to help you?" Buzz inquired hopefully.

"No!" Woody blurted. "You know what happened? The other toys groaned a bit and were shoved this way and that. _Mitsy_ came into view, yelling at them. You should've seen her, Buzz! I don't know where, but she'd managed to find a pickaxe. Whoa, she was something else, furiously waving that thing everywhere at once, whacking whoever was in her way!"

"Really?" Buzz raised his eyebrows in surprise, and he chuckled. "She did?"

"Yep!" Woody weakly grinned, nodding his head. "She fell on top of me and gave the crocodile's foot a good smack." Buzz snickered.

"I bet they were taken by surprise!" He laughed, but Woody didn't share in the merriment. "What is it? Did I say something?" Buzz asked nervously.

"No, it's just...that's when things got really bad." Woody said, and Buzz braced himself. "They seized her and wouldn't let go. I yelled at them to release her, then..then.." Woody was panting and Buzz scooted closer. "That horrid cat! He...he was about to cut her arm off with scissors!" Woody shuddered at the memory.

Buzz gasped and his body stiffened. He clenched his fists angrily. "Oh, man, Woody!" He exclaimed. "I had no idea things got _that_ bad! Wish I'd been there for you guys! I sure would've given those blasted devils what for! But, what happened after that?"

"It was horrible, Buzz!" Woody cried. "I begged and begged them not to do it! Mitsy was so afraid that she could barely speak. She was looking at me desperately to save her, but I was held back. Not that I didn't struggle to break their grasps, I did, but it was useless. The Sniper was aiming right at me. Oh, Buzz, she looked so scared, pleading at me to do something! I still pleaded for them to stop." Woody rubbed his forehead and sighed, gritting his teeth. "Then they...they took her away."

"What?" Buzz sputtered.

"They duct taped me to the wall and took her away," Woody said sadly. "She still cried to me for help, and the poor thing was so terrified. But I couldn't do anything! Then they closed the flaps again. It was horribly torturous, sitting there helplessly, and listening to her constantly piercing screams! I had no idea what they were going to do to her, and I didn't think I was ever going to see her again!" Woody shivered. "And the whole thing was my darn fault, Buzz! I _never, ever_ should've brought her with me! I should've left her with you guys. What was I thinking? I was supposed to protect her, and I put her in harm's way." Woody pounded his fist on his forehead.

"Stop, Woody." Buzz said firmly, then tried to change the subject. "How'd you get out? How did you find her?"

"Slink and _Jack_ , of all people, found me and got me out!" Woody exclaimed. "Jack knew his way around in the warehouse, so he helped us find her." Woody explained about rescuing Mitsy from the toolbox, how Jack had led them carefully, and how he'd jumped without a moment's hesitation to save Slinky-someone he barely knew at all-from being blown to kingdom come, then brought them back to the closet. "Well, you know all the rest." Woody sighed heavily.

"Wow, Woody! That's incredible!" Buzz exclaimed. He shuddered inside, putting himself in Woody's boots and imagining how horrible it would've been if he had been held back from protecting Jessie-had it been her instead of the princess-oh, he didn't want to think of it! "Well, you can relax now, cowboy." He said soothingly. "We're all safe now, and together!"

"Yeah," Woody nodded. "I just can't help feeling responsible for what happened! If they'd killed her, it would've been all my own stupid fault!"

"It's over, Woody." Buzz said firmly. "It's passed. Get that through your head, okay? You shouldn't keep playing over and over what could've happened. We're all safe and home with Bonnie now. You should be relieved about that."

"I-I am." Woody said. "You're right, Buzz. I knew it would help me, talking to _you._ I knew you would know just what to say to me. I feel much better now. Thanks a lot, Bud."

"Anytime," Buzz smiled. "You can always talk to me, Woody."

"I know I can! Buzz, I have something else I need to say."

"What's that?" Buzz inquired curiously.

"I feel so awful, about leaving Jack's body behind." Woody hung his head.

"Yeah, but it couldn't be helped, Woody."

"Well, before we left the warehouse, in my mind, I promised Mitsy that we would hold a special memorial for Jack, to honor his memory. After all, he _did_ help us be able to come home to Bonnie. And he _was_ a dog of integrity."

"Yes," Buzz sighed. "I can't stop kicking myself for believing he could be anything but sincere. I think it's a good idea, Woody, and you can count me in! But when do you think would be a good time? I don't believe Mitsy's ready for that yet. It's just too soon, and she needs more time to recover."

"I know, Buzz," Woody nodded. "We don't have to rush. But just remember that we are going to do it. I feel that we owe it to him, and to _her,_ after being so hasty in judgment!"

"Woody, you were the one who told us not to be so hasty." Buzz corrected. "When you feel the time is right to do this, just let me know and we'll get started, okay?"

"Yep. Thanks, Buzz. I'm glad you feel that way. Well, I guess I'll go back to Bonnie now. Thanks again, partner." Woody stood up.

"Sure. You'd better let Jessie know she can come back now!" Buzz warned.

"You bet I will! She'll have my hide if I don't!" Woody laughed, then climbed up to the basket lid. "I knew I could count on you, Space Ranger." Then he disappeared.

Not 60 seconds later, Jessie hopped down inside next to her husband. "Hey, you!" She grinned. "What was that all about? He was smiling."

"I'm afraid I can't tell you tonight, Jessie," Buzz answered. "But I think the talk did him a lot of good."

"Must have been something pretty bad, if _you_ can't tell _me_ about it." Jessie teased.

"I said not tonight." Buzz corrected her. "Come on. Let's cuddle." Jessie cheered up and was instantly in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'm glad you were able to help him. But you won't let anyone else in here tonight, will you?" She asked. "Please?"

"Nope." Buzz smiled.

* * *

The next morning while Bonnie was at a book fair at Sunnyside, Buzz went to see Mitsy. Something was troubling him and he wanted to be alone with 'his niece' so he could get it off his chest. He also wanted to see for himself how she was doing. Naturally, he found her under the bed again. Bullseye was curled up next to her and Mitsy was sadly leaning on and stroking his mane. His plush, huggable body was a priceless source of comfort. Buzz cleared his throat and spoke up. "Uh, hey, Mitsy."

Mitsy slightly turned her sad face toward him. "Hello, Buzz," She said softly, almost a whisper.

"I'm sorry to disturb you. I'm not trying to be intrusive. Do you feel like taking a stroll?"

"Not really," Mitsy mumbled, shaking her head.

"Well, I'm sure you don't, but...but I _want_ you to take one with me, right now." He said firmly. Mitsy stared at him. He was so insistent.

 _This is odd._ She thought. _Jessie's the only one he takes a walk alone with, unless he's having some guy time with Woody._ Buzz held his hand out to her. She looked at it warily, then him, then back at his hand, and then took it. He helped her stand then let go. "Thanks, Bullseye. You're a pal. Why don't you go play with Jessie, boy?" She suggested. The plucky horse gave her a big lick on the face, making her slightly smile, then he trotted away.

Mitsy trailed behind Buzz out of the bedroom and to the living room. He stopped near the sofa and winced. _Come on, Space Ranger. Just say it._ He turned to face the princess, his face turning hot. "Mitsy, I...I'm sorry," Buzz said straight out.

"I know," Mitsy whispered, clasping her hands together and staring at the floor.

"No, I mean...I'm sorry for sitting on the fence and not speaking up for Jack like I should have."

Mitsy winced again. "It _was_ a tangle of circumstances," she said lowly. "And...and you didn't know him that well. It's okay, Buzz. Really." She touched his large arm with her small hand. "And, you _didn't_ say anything against him. I'm grateful for that. So, you didn't say anything you'll regret."

"I regret what I _didn't_ say. What I should've said." Buzz groaned.

"We...we can't change the past. No matter how much I...I wish that we could!" she said lowly, looking up sadly at him.

Buzz slightly grinned. How many times through the years had _he_ told her what _she_ just said to _him? I guess she's learned more from Woody and me than we choose to realize,_ Buzz thought. _Yes, she's learned a lot, but I was hoping that **this** was something none of us would ever have to learn. I wish to infinity and beyond that there was **something** we could do...something **I** could do to make her feel better. _"Hey, I was proud of you, Princess, the way you handled that cat." Buzz smiled warmly, tugging playfully on her curly hair.

Mitsy's eyes widened and she looked up at him, surprised. "You saw?" She asked.

"Yes. I sure did. Excellent work. You did good for yourself. I must say, I was impressed! Your training certainly paid off."

"Thanks to you. I wasn't doing it to be seen, I was trying to keep from getting killed!"

"I know. And Woody told me about how you came to his rescue. Nice work!"

" _He_ told you?" Mitsy sputtered. She was still a little upset with how Woody had ranted on her about that instead of thanking her the first time. "I had no idea." She said quietly.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you something," he commented. "How would you like to join Jessie and me tonight for a movie?"

"With you and Jessie?" Mitsy looked surprised again. It was rare for Buzz and Jessie to ever invite anyone to join them for a movie, as they enjoyed being alone. "Well...if she doesn't mind, I'd like that very much. If it won't bother you guys. Are you sure it'll be okay with Jessie?"

Buzz smiled widely. "Let me tell you something. It was Jessie's idea!"

"Oh! Tell her 'thank you'. Uh, is it all right if...well..."

"Yes? If what?" Buzz leaned over curiously.

"Could...could Woody come too? Please?" Mitsy asked yearningly.

"Sure thing." Buzz smiled. They started to walk back to the bedroom when Mitsy spoke up again.

"Buzz?" She asked timidly.

"Yes, Princess?" Buzz looked at her curiously.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Not sure if I'll be able to answer it, but go ahead."

"Why is it? How come..." Mitsy was trying to find the right words. "How come when things are bad for us, why is it that sometimes we tend to go after each other and fight instead of working together?"

Buzz's face grew solemn. Her question made him feel bad again for how their friends had been so quick to accuse Jack when they didn't know the whole story, which had led to nasty, unkind words being said between her and Potato Head. He bit his lip and rubbed his chin, trying to figure out how to answer. "I guess...I guess it's because.." He began. "When bad things do happen, it shows just how much that life isn't under our control and it frightens us, so we feel that we need to strike out to keep things from getting worse."

Mitsy frowned. "But...but that doesn't solve anything." She said. "And it just makes things worse. That brings strife between us, and that shouldn't be." She hung her head, partly in shame for her rash words two days before, but also in lingering disappointment of what had transpired between her and her friends right after they'd gotten caught.

"You're right," Buzz said, and gripped her small shoulder. "Mitsy, I'm really sorry for all of this. I know you're hurting really bad right now, and I wish there was something I could do to make it go away."

"Thanks," Mitsy whispered, staring at the floor again. "You're...you're a g-good friend, Buzz. T-thank you for trying to h-help me." She looked like she was going to cry.

"It's no problem." He patted her shoulder. "Hey, and I'm really sorry about what happened to you and Woody in the box.."

"Please, don't talk about it!" Mitsy begged, holding her hands up and shaking her head. She hated remembering when she and Woody had been attacked."I-I don't even want t-to t-think about _that!"_ She shivered and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Sorry I brought it up." Buzz said. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad." She bit her lip and gulped, nodding.

When they returned to the bedroom, Rex and Trixie invited Mitsy to play their video game with them on multiplayer mode, to which she agreed and had a fun time. Dolly and the Potato Heads had other things to tend to, so Mitsy had to play babysitter to the three Peas-in-a-Pod and aliens, reading a storybook to them, then she played a tiring game of Hide-and-Seek with them. Mitsy, Slinky, Hamm, and Bullseye all played several wild games of Dutch Blitz. Woody watched her throughout the day and was glad that she actually seemed to be enjoying herself...or looked like she was at least _trying_ to. He could see the searching longing behind her eyes, and the weak willpower it took to smile. _She's probably putting up a facade,_ he thought, _but it's good for her to be out in the open, **doing things,** and surrounded by friends, instead of staying all alone under that dark bed where one can easily indulge in self-pity, hands down. She hasn't talked much about what happened. She probably should, and soon, otherwise it'll build up and burst out. But she might not be ready to talk. I know I certainly wouldn't be. _It was just like good old Buzz to get a moping toy out in the open and keeping themselves busy instead of sitting around making oneself more miserable.

When Bonnie returned from Sunnyside, Buttercup hopped out of the backpack with an envelope. It was for Mitsy. She took it and climbed up to the windowsill to read it. It said:

" _Dear Mitsy,_

 _It's my fault for not writing before this. I'm very sorry to hear about your friend, Jack. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you, missing him and wishing he was there with you. Know that you are in my thoughts._

 _It wasn't until I was writing this that I realized how long it's been since we've seen each other and how much I've missed you! I would love to see you again sometime. We'd be happy to have you come and visit us at Sunnyside sometime. You won't believe how different it is since we all first came! Hope to see you soon! Sending many hugs your way!_

 _Love always,_

 _Barbie_

 _xoxoxo_

 _P.S._

 _Hey there, kid! Terribly sorry to hear that you're_

 _not feeling so hot right now. Hope things start_

 _lookin' up for ya soon again. Hey, come and_

 _visit us at Sunnyside anytime! We'd love to see_

 _ya! Feel better soon. Love, Ken"_

Mitsy grinned reading Ken's little note. She did miss Barbie whom had always felt like a cousin to the princess, and Sunnyside was no longer a place of doom, but...but still. Visit Sunnyside? No, not now. That place still had too many frightening memories, and it was too soon after their tragic ordeal at the warehouse (which they were all still recovering from) to return to a place that had once been used as a stash for deceit, malice, and betrayal. Maybe sometime down the road, she'd visit Sunnyside again, but just not now.

* * *

He was sitting on the bed in Mr. and Mrs. Anderson's bedroom. He wasn't reading a book, but was just sitting there listening to soft, classical music coming from the CD player, and looked like he was deep in thought. Mitsy quietly climbed up until he was in sight, and the perceptive clown glanced in her direction. "Oh, Princess," he sighed. "It's you."

"I'm sorry to intrude on your quiet time, but...Chuckles, can I come sit with you, please?" Mitsy asked sadly.

"Of course, my dear." Chuckles answered gently. "Come sit down right here." He patted the spot next to him and Mitsy rushed over and sat down there.

"We haven't had a chance to talk since we got back from the trip." Mitsy stated.

"No, we haven't." Chuckles replied. "I've been thinking about you. How are you feeling, Princess?" Mitsy bit her lip, staring down at the comforter.

"I...I...I don't know." Mitsy shook her head. "It's good to be back home where it's safe and we're together, but..." Chuckles listened quietly, cocking his head. "But I feel like...like something special and dear is gone. No, _someone._ Even...even though he was never...never here at Bonnie's, it still feels like...like..." Mitsy's lips quivered, and she couldn't get the words out. She looked at the kind, melancholy clown who was still listening. "I'm sorry." She gulped, shaking her head again, then covered her face with her hands. Chuckles put his short arm around her and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Would you like to talk about something else?" The sympathetic clown asked. Mitsy glanced at him and nodded. "Well, did you enjoy your time with Jamie's toys?" Chuckles asked again, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, we did." Mitsy replied with a sigh. "It was fun, and we made some new friends. Belle is very kind." She blew out a breath of relief.

"What did you all do?"

"Well, some of us played games, some of us explored the house with the other toys...oh, yeah. Buzz and Jessie fooled Woody by hiding his hat behind the kitchen stove, but Slinky and I found it and brought it back!" Mitsy managed to grin widely at this statement.

"And how did that go?" Chuckles asked curiously.

"Oh, they weren't happy with us spoiling their plan, but they'll get over it. You should've seen the looks on their faces when we walked through the door. Buzz will probably be more

secretive next time. Woody was pretty glad though!"

"He does seem to be very fond of his hat." Chuckles remarked. "What else did you do?"

"Oh! Jamie has a big book of different dog breeds!" Mitsy exclaimed. "Belle and I looked through it together. There's so many dogs in the world, and each one is unique. They even had a Rough collie, and...and..." her face fell. "And...a German Shepherd." Chuckles nodded, and Mitsy leaned forward, her hands covering her face. _"_ _I...it's not...fair!"_ The clown heard her speak in a muffled voice. Then she raised her head and sighed. "It looked just like him." She said lowly. "Anyway, I really enjoyed that book. I'd like to show it to you sometime."

"That might be nice." Chuckles nodded.

"Oh, and Woody beat Jessie at arm-wrestling! She wasn't happy about that at all, that's the reason they took his hat. By the way, did you read anything interesting while we were gone?"

"I did," Chuckles replied, with a small smile. "It was a biography about a retired FBI agent and he tells of his experiences." Mitsy's eyes widened.

"Sounds exciting. Did you like it?"

"Parts of it were exciting," Chuckles sighed. "But he explained the many hardships that come with it. You know, it's not an easy job upholding the laws of our land." Then they both sat in silence for a short while, listening to the gentle music, both lost in deep thought.

"Will you read to me, Chuckles? Please?" Mitsy asked longingly.

"I guess I can do that." Chuckles replied. "What do you want?"

"The biography. A chapter that you've already read."

"All right."

* * *

At 7:00, Mitsy and Woody walked into the living room to join Buzz and Jessie for a movie while Bonnie was at a friend's house and her parents were out on a date. Mitsy was grateful for the married toys couple's company, but tonight she wanted the presence of her friend who she thought of like a father to be nearby. He helped her climb up onto the sofa where the cowgirl and the Space Ranger were already positioned cozily. "Hey there, y'all!" Jessie greeted cheerfully.

"Hey," Woody responded. "This is a real treat, watching a movie with the _lovebird_." He teased. Jessie scrunched up her nose.

"Who are you calling lovebirds?" She sputtered.

"You two. Who else?"

"We ain't done nothing to earn that name."

"Yeah right." Woody teased again. "The way you two carry on? I'm not blind, _Sis."_

"I thought we still were lovebirds ." Buzz joked and Jessie shook her head, frowning.

" _Don't encourage him!"_ She whispered to Buzz. _"_ Yeah, well, you'd better stop teasin' if you want to keep your spot tonight." She sneered at Woody.

"Hey, it's a free country." Woody sighed. Jessie rolled her eyes while Mitsy giggled at the whole scenario.

"Thank you very much for letting me do this with you," Mitsy smiled weakly at the lovebirds.

"Like Woody said, it _is_ a treat!"

"No problem." Buzz smiled. He was in charge of the remote control tonight.

" _You're_ welcome, Your Highness." Jessie said emphatically. " _You_ I'm not so sure about." She squinted at Woody who made a face.

"Can we just choose what we're going to watch?" Mitsy asked, trying to move things forward. "We never get to do this with you and I want to finish the movie before the Andersons get home."

"She's right." Buzz spoke up. "Well, what shall it be tonight? Something old? New? Mystery? Drama? Comedy? Adventure? Well?"

"I'd like something old." Mitsy replied.

"Beauty and the Beast?" Jessie suggested. She knew that was one of Mitsy's favorite movies. That was actually the _only_ reason she suggested it, because personally, Jessie wasn't into the frills and fancy stuff of princess films.

"Personally, I feel like that's too sad right now." Mitsy answered. Jessie looked at her sympathetically as she realized that the scene in the movie where the Beast died was a little too close to home right now. "But what do you guys want to watch?"

"I'm in the mood for some mystery," Buzz said.

"How about western?" Jessie offered.

"I think comedy's a good idea right now," Woody spoke up, thinking that Mitsy needed something funny to take her mind off her troubles. "How about Davy Crockett and the River Pirates?"

"I like that." Mitsy remarked.

"That ain't western," Jessie pouted.

"There's the Andy Griffith show." Buzz said.

"Oh. Well, anyone in the mood for The Apple Dumpling Gang?" Woody asked.

"Hey, yeah!" Mitsy exclaimed. "It's old, and funny..."

"And has adventure," Woody grinned.

"And western!" Jessie smirked.

"And dumb in places." Buzz said dryly.

"Sometimes dumb humor is the best kind." Mitsy interjected.

"Looks like I'm outnumbered." Buzz sighed. Personally, he didn't mind though. It was western which would please Jessie, and he always wanted to make her happy. Plus, the dumb humor could be hilarious, and Mitsy did really need something lighthearted to focus on right now in the midst of her terrible grief. And as Woody put the movie into its player, Buzz grinned as he thought of Jessie's excited hooting and hollering he just knew she would do throughout the movie. And that was going to be music to his ears.

"That was fun!" Jessie piped up when the movie was over. "I ain't thought about that movie in years!"

"Well, the Andersons are probably going to be back soon." Woody warned. Mitsy looked disappointed.

"Oh." She sighed. "I was hoping that we had time to watch at least one Andy Griffith. But if we don't have time..."

"I think we should be able to squeeze one in safely, Woody." Buzz said. "Come on. You two might as well enjoy this while you can."

"Yep." Jessie said. "Cause _you'd_ better not get used to it." She looked at Woody.

"Okay," Woody sighed. "Which one?"

"Remember that episode where Barney was left in charge and he arrested the whole town or somethin'?" Jessie asked.

"Ooo yeah." Woody chuckled.

"That one sounds good." Mitsy said.

"Okay then." Buzz announced. "Then that it'll be." The toys snickered and laughed at the on-screen deputy's over zealous nature to do his job and the absurd charges he'd turned the citizens in for.

"Well, we'd better head back now." Woody said and hopped down off the sofa. "Thanks, guys."

"Yes, thank you very much." Mitsy smiled, and hugged Jessie who returned the embrace. "It _was_ fun. Thanks for inviting us to intrude on your alone time. I enjoyed myself. Thanks, again, Buzz."

"Sure, Princess." Buzz smiled back.

"Well, I'm going. Good-night, guys." She waved to them before climbing off the sofa where Woody helped her down to the floor.

" 'Night!" Jessie and Buzz replied together. Then Jessie turned to look at her husband. "Well, what'll it be now?" She snuggled up next to him.

"I still want my mystery," Buzz replied.

"Choose one with a lot of action." Jessie said.

"Okay." And the two toys snuggled very close to each other.

"Do you think this did her any good?" Jessie asked hopefully.

"It looked like it to me." Buzz answered. "She's right. Dumb humor can be good therapy for a heavy mind. It's just that I have a tendency to feel annoyed at all the easily preventable incidents that come from carelessness or just plain dumbness."

"Grouch." Jessie muttered.

"Hey!" Buzz sputtered. "I am not. I'm just a realist. Being a Space Ranger, you know what's at stake and sometimes carelessness can bring about tragedy!"

"True, but in a comedy sitcom, you know that's not going to happen."

"I know. I'm just not easily humored by it, especially by someone who's supposed to uphold the rules. It wouldn't be funny if it was real."

"Are you just gonna sit there all night, complaining about stuff, or are we gonna watch exciting adventure?" Jessie scolded, getting right in his face with a smirk.

"You're right. We're wasting time." Buzz grinned and nodded. "Please, the movie is starting. As a courtesy to those around you, please turn off all voice boxes, please refrain from romantic Spanish lingo, and needless pushing of the many captivating buttons nearest you." Jessie smiled smugly and sneakily inched her fingers over to one of the buttons on his chest plate. _"Buzz Lightyear to the rescue!"_ Buzz glanced at her, annoyed. "If you can't cease from childish antics, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave the aisle, Ma'am."

"Aw, Sir. I was just playing." Jessie pretended to pout. "Please, pretty please, can I stay? I won't do it again, honest! See?" She sat down firmly on her own hands.

"No more funny business." Buzz joked in a professional tone. "Why do you always press _that_ one, Jessie? I'm just curious."

"Oh, just 'cause." Jessie looked away sheepishly.

" 'Cause _why?"_

"It's my favorite! Got a problem with that?"

"No, no. Not all."

* * *

Woody walked with Mitsy back to Bonnie's room afterwords before Bonnie returned. "Well, it sounds like you had a good time today, huh?" Woody smiled.

"I _did,"_ Mitsy weakly smiled back. "I'm not saying that I still don't feel bad, I do. But I have to admit, it did feel good to...to do something again. To...to be part of something. I might like to try again tomorrow."

"You do?" Woody asked. "Are you sure? Sweetie, don't rush trying to be back to normal. You really need to give yourself time to grieve."

Mitsy's face fell. "I know, Woody. But, I at least want to try."

"All right. I'm glad to hear it, Little Bit." Woody patted her shoulder and started to walk away, but then Mitsy wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her head against his chest. At first, he was taken by surprise, but then he put his arms around her and stroked her hair. _"_ _It's okay, Sweetie,"_ he whispered, _"We're all here for you._ _Hey? Go ahead and cry if you have to, honey."_ The sad princess lifted her small head and looked up at him, and he returned her gaze with a sympathetic look.

" _I….I….miss….him,"_ She whispered unhappily. Woody cocked his head sadly. He had a small hint of understanding of how she was feeling. He'd heavily felt it himself when Bo Peep was sold and they became separated. He still felt the ache in his heart, longing to have her back at his side. But she wasn't here! A lump rose in his own throat as he stared down into the heartbroken turquoise eyes of the little princess who always came to him with her troubles.

"I know, Mitsy darling," Woody said lowly. She grimaced and hid her face back against him. He leaned down and softly kissed the top of her head. They held each other close for another moment before walking back to the bedroom.

That night, Woody happily informed everyone of how being involved was helping Mitsy. He warned them that she shouldn't be expected to be completely happy again yet, but they all smiled that night with lighter hearts, hoping the good work would continue.

Later while Bonnie was sleeping with Jessie, Buttercup, Bullseye, Trixie, and Rex, Woody quietly slipped away, heading for the windowsill. He'd just hopped down to the floor when he heard whimpering. "Mitsy's probably crying, poor thing," he said quietly to himself and immediately followed the sounds. He would comfort her and stay with her 'til she feel asleep. But as he came closer to the closet where the sounds were coming from, it was clear to him that it was a different toy because whoever was having trouble sleeping did not have a feminine voice. Plus, he turned his head and saw the princess sleeping comfortably in Bonnie's jacket that she'd left on the tea table. And she was resting peacefully. "Then who?" Woody asked no one in particular. He quietly moved the closet door aside and from Bonnie's nightlight, he could make out a long figure, lying on the tote bags and backpack on the floor. It was Slinky!

Woody raised his eyebrows. Then he knelt down next to the restless dog who was wagging his head back and forth and flailing his paws in what seemed to be a state of panic. _"Help...no...no! Let her go! Please! Don't! Let us go! PLEASE!"_ Slinky cried in his sleep. Woody gave his little buddy a couple light smacks on his face.

"Slink. Slinky, wake up, buddy. Come on, wake up!" Woody declared. Slinky's eyes fluttered open and he shook his head. He sadly looked up at Woody in fright. His lips quivered. Woody leaned in closer with a sympathetic look on his face. "Are you okay, pal?" He placed his hand on Slinky's paw.

"Woody! Am I ever glad to see you!" Slinky gasped. Then his frightened eyes fell on the darkness around them and he shivered. "W-where are we?" He asked shakily.

"We're at home. We're in Bonnie's room, bud." Woody said soothingly. "Everything's okay."

"Y-you sure about that?" Slinky asked with jittery teeth.

"Yes. See? Look. There's the bed." Woody pointed across the room. "Bonnie's sleeping with Jessie, Bullseye, and some of the others. Buzz is sleeping on the basket where she left him. And..."

"Woody? Where's Mitsy?" Slinky asked urgently. Woody stared at him with his brows furrowed.

"She's right over there, in Bonnie's jacket. See? She's all right and we're all safe. You were having a bad dream. But everything's okay now." Slinky hung his head.

"Woody?" Slinky asked in a timid voice.

"Yeah?"

"Will you just sit here with me for a while? Please?" The dog looked up at the cowboy pleadingly.

"Sure I will. You don't have to be scared, Slink. You're safe and I'm right here." Woody smiled and moved closer. He sat down cross-legged as the shaken up dog droopingly lay his head in the cowboy's lap. Woody patted his paw and stroked his ears. "What were you dreaming about, buddy? Would it make you feel better to talk about it?"

"N-not yet, please." Slinky shook his head. Woody nodded and Slinky closed his eyes. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"It's okay. You didn't." Woody answered. He had definitely been expecting Mitsy to need his comfort this way, but then it dawned on Woody that she wasn't the only one who had been periled at the warehouse. He suddenly realized that Slinky too had been through a great deal, as had all of them who had been trapped there. Woody felt guilty. He'd been so wrapped up in worrying about and trying to help Mitsy that he hadn't taken time to think of his other friends and how the horrible ordeal had traumatized _them. Well, I'll pay closer attention from now on,_ the cowboy thought to himself. _I wonder how long Slinky has been starving for my attention! Poor little buddy. I've been neglecting him, and Rex, and Trixie, and..._ Woody shook his head and sighed heavily, gazing up at the ceiling, aggravated with himself. _"_ _Oh, darn you again, Woody!"_ The sheriff muttered to himself in a whisper.

"Huh?" Slinky raised an ear. "What's the matter, Woody?"

"Oh, nothing." Woody said flatly. "Just the same old, lame me, that's all."

"Stop talkin' like that, will ya?" Slinky groaned and tried to get more comfortable.

"Sorry, Slink. It's just that...no. I'm _extremely_ sorry, Slink." Woody said solemnly.

"What for?" Slinky inquired, confused.

"For leaving you in the dust," Woody said sadly. "Mitsy's going through a very painful time right now, and it hurts me to see her this way. But I've spent so much time trying to tend to her needs that I pushed yours to the back burner. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to! I'm sorry that I haven't been making time for ya, pal."

"Aw, pal." Slinky sighed and looked up at his friend. "You've been doing what a sheriff's supposed to for someone in big trouble. You've been doing your job. You shouldn't be ashamed of that."

"A sheriff is supposed to serve the _people,_ not just one individual," Woody said emphatically.

"Aw, Woody." Slinky sat up. "I'm glad that you have been helping her. I'm glad someone is. Cause to be honest, I've been nervous around her since we got home. She just ain't bein' Mitsy, and it scares me. I just don't know what to say to her. And it seems like whenever I try to help, it just ain't enough!"

"Slink, this isn't easy for any of us." Woody ran his hand up and down the dog's neck. "But you and Jessie and the others...you suffered at the warehouse too, and are still recovering. You need me too."

"Thanks, Woody. I _am_ glad you're here right now. I had an awful dream and thought it was real. Oh, it was just terrible!"

"What was it, buddy?" Woody asked.

"Mitsy was duct taped to the floor...the floor where...where Jack," Slinky was having trouble speaking, and he was shaking. "You and Buzz and Jess...everyone was duct taped to the wall, 'except Jack and me. I ran to help you guys out and...and Jack jumped down to free Mitsy, but...but..." Slinky shuddered.

"It's okay, Slinky. It's all right." Woody said kindly. He squeezed the dog's paws and Slinky rubbed his head against Woody's chest.

"Spike was down there, blocking Jack," Slinky continued. "He stood right on top of Mitsy and wouldn't let Jack near her. She was really scared, Woody! She kept calling for help and Jack charged at that monster but he ripped Jack's throat open with his claws! T-then he just tore him to p-pieces! I-it w-was...oohhhh!" Slinky hung his head and wrapped his trembling paws around Woody's waist. "I ran to try and save her, but I got caught up on a hook hanging from the ceiling! You guys were still strapped to the walls and I couldn't get off the hook! I felt like I weighed a ton. Then t-the crate s-started coming down!" Slinky squeezed his eyes shut tightly, shaking his head. "I tried to use my back end to turn it off but I couldn't reach it. I-I never saw Mitsy so scared, except at the dump when...then at the same time, that evil cat was aiming a hammer at my head! He swung it back and I couldn't get away! The last thing I saw was Mitsy, trapped and the crate was about to crush her...when you woke me up!" Slinky panted heavily and wearily collapsed back down into Woody's lap. He just lay there sighing deeply. Woody gritted his teeth.

"I'm so sorry, Slink." Was all he could say. Woody didn't want to think about it right now, but the thought crossed his mind that this probably wasn't going to be the only time that he was going to have to calm Slinky down from a nightmare of that horrible night at the warehouse. And on top of that, Slinky also was most likely not going to be the only one suffering with those memories in his sleep. Woody gulped. He was very surprised that Mitsy out of all the toys, hadn't been having frightening dreams about it yet! _She probably will soon,_ he thought.

"That's horrible!" He exclaimed aloud to the dog. "I hope you won't have these dreams a lot, Slink. I really don't! But you can always come to me if you do." Slinky slightly smiled.

"Thanks, Woody." Slinky whispered.

"But just remember that we're all safe now."

"Woody, do you miss Jack?" Slinky asked out of the blue. Woody just gaped. He gulped, trying to speak.

"I...I didn't personally know him that long," Woody managed to say. "Though I knew of him better than I thought. He could've been a good friend."

"What d'ya mean _could've_ been?" Slinky sputtered. "He _was!_ After all he did for us? If that's not friendship I don't know what is!"

"You're right, Slink. I don't know what got into me. Jack _was_ a good friend, even for such a little while. I'm honored that I actually got to meet him in person and see him live up to his praises."

"Me too." Slinky said lowly. "Aw, Woody. You should've seen how horrified he looked when I told him that you and Mitsy was gallivanting around looking for him. For such a brave hero, he looked sickly afraid! I-I just felt that I could trust him. And I...how I wish he could've come home with us and lived here with Bonnie! I only got to spend a matter of hours with him, and now I...I feel like _I've_ lost someone who was as great as you and Buzz!" Woody didn't know what to say. Maybe it was partly the fact that Jack was a dog like him, but in the little time they'd had, Slinky had obviously grown fond of Jack, like another big buddy whom he knew he could count on. Soon, Slinky was fast asleep. When his breathing became even, Woody gently stood up and set Slinky's head comfortably back down on the tote bag.

"Night little buddy," Woody whispered and started to the window. He stepped toward Mitsy and came close to her. She was soundly dozing, lying on her side in the jacket's torso. Woody pulled an end of the hood and placed it over her shoulder, tucking it around her. She slightly moved her head but remained asleep. Woody stroked her hair, then patted her arm. "Sweet dreams, Mitsy." He whispered, kissed her forehead, then stood up and headed for the window again.

Buzz had waken but stared at the ceiling as he listened to Woody and Slinky's conversation. He'd heard Slinky sounding distressed, but Woody had seemed to have the matter under control, so Buzz just listened. Woody's words were playing over and over in his mind: _**Jack**_ _ **was**_ _ **a good friend, even for such a little while. I'm honored that I actually got to meet him in person and seem him live up to his praises.**_

"So am I," Buzz said under his breath.

* * *

It had been about 20 minutes, and Woody sat up on the windowsill with his knees crossed. He was gazing at the night sky. Then he heard someone nearby and turned his head. "Hey, Chuckles," Woody smiled.

"Hello," Chuckles said lowly and sat next to the cowboy. "This is a good place and a good time to reflect on things, isn't it?"

"Yep." Woody responded. "I've spent a lot of time up here when I wanted to be alone or was thinking deeply about something."

"As have I. Woody, how is our princess really doing?" Chuckles asked thoughtfully.

"To tell you the truth, I wish I knew." Woody sighed. "She's holding up, but I honestly think that she's grieving as much as she tries to be brave. Even her smile isn't the same. It's not full of excitement and life. It reminds me of more like a...a piece of tape trying to hang on. I feel so bad for her, Chuckles. I wish I could take her pain away, and bring Jack back to her, but I..I can't." Woody hung his head.

"We all do, cowboy." Chuckles responded. "She came to see me earlier. I think she wanted some quiet company. She started to talk, but I guess she's not ready. She's usually such a cheerful and lively thing, it makes me want to yell seeing her so hurt."

"I know!" Woody agreed, shaking his head.

"I know what it's like to lose a good friend," Chuckles moaned. "Not the way she did, but I feel like it hurts almost the same way. I'm not trying to be unkind, but at least...at least he died with his reputation in tact. I mean...at least everything she said about her dog and believed about him turned out to be true. I honestly think she would be crushed and shattered _beyond_ help or repair, if the accusations made against her friend had turned out to be true."

"I think I know what you mean." Woody said wistfully. "One thing you should know about Mitsy, if you don't already: when she believes in someone's goodness and believes they're trustworthy, she isn't easily convinced of the opposite. She may be naive in that way, but it really takes the sunshine out of her day when she's presented with someone's bad side, true or not. Her faith in others' goodness and loyalty to those she cares about was sorely tested." Woody paused for a moment before continuing.

'You're absolutely right! I'm glad that Jack was genuine. If he hadn't been...if she'd had to see close up what might've been...I don't think she could handle it. Everything she's ever told us about him, praised him for was true. I saw it come to life before my very eyes! He helped Slink get me out of the box, then he didn't rest until we found Mitsy. And when Slink, someone Jack barely knew at all was in danger, Jack didn't hesitate for a minute to rescue my little buddy! He brought us back to our friends, and didn't give us away once. You should have seen him, the way he threw himself in front of her when Spike was ready to attack, and...then...he...oh!" Woody rubbed his forehead. "I thought for sure that she was done for, and felt so helpless not being able to do anything about it! And then...then there he was! As sure as I'm sitting here in front of you, Jack was there, throwing her to safety! Anything good ever said about him took toy form and lived out to the fullest extent.'"

"I wish I could've met him," Chuckles said lowly. "Lotso had been my friend. He had been like Jack at one time, and it's so hard to know that every negative thing said about him is true. I do miss him, the way he used to be. But he'll never be that same toy again. Ever." The two toys were quiet for a while, Woody knowing that is was very difficult and painful for the sad clown to talk about his former friend that everyone seemed to hate, though he couldn't blame them after all the terrible things Lotso had done. Then Chuckles spoke up again. "Every time I've heard the dear girl describe Jack, my mind always pictures you."

"Me?" Woody asked.

"Yes. Jack will always be special to her, but from what I've observed and heard from stories of your pasts, _you_ have been the one who helped fill the void his role left in her life. And being a dog, Slinky's like a miniature version of Jack to her.'"

"He is that," Woody agreed. "He's always had something special between the two of them."

"I sincerely hope that the princess will heal from this. But I expect it will be a long time."

"I'm just glad it was quick. She didn't get to say good-bye to him," Woody said wistfully, "but I honestly feel it was better that way, Chuckles. As unfair as she may feel that was, I...I couldn't bear it if I'd had to see her watch him suffer! It was instant, so he couldn't have suffered much, and I'm grateful for that. It would've just added to the already massive distress."

"Yes. I agree." Chuckles nodded soberly. "Providence was merciful in letting him die instantly."

"I really wish she would say something about Jack's accident," Woody said longingly. "I feel like she's keeping too much in. It took Jessie years to heal from Emily forgetting and leaving her, and I know that it still hurts her deeply. But now she has Buzz to cling to and live for, and Bonnie to love her. And even though I love it here and love Bonnie every bit as much as I do Andy, I still miss him and sharing the times we had together. And I long so badly to be able to see Bo Peep again! But _this_? Death? I'm not sure what to do for Mitsy. I'm worried about her. I really am. She's so young. Too young and full of sunshine to be slammed against the ground from such a blow. It's hard for anyone. But still...she'd just gotten her friend back and now she's lost him forever!"

"No. No." Chuckles interjected. "He's gone, yes. But he's still a part of her that will be carried for years. And she still has _friend_ _ **s!**_ She's not alone, not like after her owner died and the house burned. This time, she has a family to care for and love her, as do we all."

"You're right, partner." Woody smiled. "You're so right. None of us in this room are really alone at all! We have Bonnie, the best kid I could ever ask for, next to Andy. And we all have each other. I know that some of us share deep and personal things only with _very special_ friends, and that sometimes we let things get in the way when we should be listening to each other. But there's _always someone_ around."

"Hey, I would be honored if you would allow me to assist you and Buzz with Jack's memorial service." Chuckles said kindly. "I'd like to do something for Mitsy, since it's the least that we can do."

"Yeah, the very least," Woody sighed.

* * *

 **I hope I did a good job! I tried to.**

" **Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, and the end of mirth may be grief." (Proverbs 14:13)**


	6. Chapter 6 Heartache

**It's time. The breakdown. This is the painful chapter.**

* * *

The next morning, Jessie tried to find Mitsy. She was going to ask her if she wanted to join the cowgirl in helping Dolly and Mrs. Potato Head in sorting out Bonnie's pencils, crayons, and markers while Bonnie was at the library. But Jessie couldn't find the princess.

Mr. Pricklepants was asking Woody to practice sailing through the air with his pull-string so they could rehearse for their upcoming Robin Hood play. "Now, how is that going to look?" Woody groaned. "Robin Hood wearing a cowboy hat, and without a feather?"

"I'm afraid you're slightly misled, dear Sheriff." Pricklepants corrected. "Might I remind you that you are only serving as a double for the stunt."

"Yeah," Woody shrugged. "But still, might _I_ remind _you_ doubles are supposed to match originals to a tee."

"If we were smart, we'd let him use your hat." Buzz said to Pricklepants.

"Ah-hem. I am afraid that that is out of the question." The hedgehog answered casually.

"Excuse me, guys?" Jessie said as she walked toward them. "Mitsy's under the bed again. And...and something's wrong this time."

"Nothing has been what I would call pleasant for the dear lady the past couple days." Pricklepants stated.

"Quiet. What do you mean, Jessie?" Buzz asked, concerned.

"She wouldn't talk to me, and she looks really, really upset this time." Jessie explained sadly. "She was shaking too. I tried to ask her what was wrong, but she just huddled up against the wall and looks like she's going to cry. I didn't know what else to do." The other toys' faces dropped. "It looked like...it was almost as if she didn't even hear me or know I was there!"

"Poor soul," Pricklepants moaned. "Such a tragically painful ending to a once beautiful friendship."

"I know she's feeling bad, but she can't stay under Bonnie's bed forever," Buzz remarked, shaking his head. He looked at Woody.

"No. You're right. I'll go see her." Woody said. "Slink. You come with me, huh?" And Woody took three steps forward.

"No, Woody!" Slinky answered sharply. Everyone stared at him, wide-eyed. Woody turned and looked at his old friend in disbelief.

"Slink?" The cowboy sputtered. Woody felt that at a time like this is when Mitsy needed her best pal the most, and he was refusing to do it? Also, it wasn't like Slinky at all to be so adamant in an angry manner towards Woody! Something had to be terribly wrong with the forlorn dog.

"I won't go with you, Woody!" Slinky burst out, his voice cracking with emotion. "I can't go. I can't bear to see her like this. And I don't know how to help her. Woody, please don't make me." Slinky hung his head sadly, and Jessie walked over to him.

"Oh, Slinky, you _are_ a help," Jessie said sweetly. "Mitsy's always herself when she's with you. You always bring a smile to her face."

"Yeah, she always feels better when you're around," Buzz added. "No one can cheer her up like you do." But Slinky shook his head in dejected refusal.

"Please," Slinky sighed, his lips quivering. "Please, I can't. Just...please don't."

"All right, Slink. All right," Woody said kindly, patting his good friend on the head. "It's okay, little buddy. If it bothers you that much, you don't have to come. You just take it easy, partner."

"Thank you," Slinky whispered, his lips quivering.

"We'll come with you, Woody. Maybe we can do something to help." Buzz said, and Jessie nodded in agreement.

"Okay, Buzz." Woody said. "Thanks." The three toys walked to the bed. Woody was very worried. Ever since they'd made it out of the warehouse, Mitsy hadn't really said anything about the whole ordeal. Ever since Bonnie had brought them home, Mitsy had hardly spoken at all about what had happened, at least not to Woody anyway. The shock and pain was still so fresh that it heavily felt impossible to put into words. Woody knew she shouldn't keep it all inside, but this was something that ran very deep and required patience. All he knew was that Mitsy needed him, and he was going to be there for her!

Woody crouched down and lifted the blanket so he could see under the bed. "Oh man," the disheartened cowboy said under his breath. Mitsy was all curled up, lying on her side in the middle of the floor, her eyes squeezed shut, her hands clenched together, and her mouth quivering. She was whimpering like a whipped puppy and shivering violently. Woody winced at the sight of her like this and his shoulders sagged.

"Woody, is she all right?" Buzz asked.

Woody looked back miserably at his best friend, shook his head, and crawled inside toward the brokenhearted princess. "Mitsy. Hey, Mitsy? It's me. I'm here..." he said softly, but she didn't respond to his voice. He leaned closer and touched her hand. "Mitsy, it's..." Mitsy's eyes opened wide in fear, and she let out a high-pitched gasp. "Whoa, whoa! Hey, hey, it's okay. It's okay," Woody spoke soothingly to her, holding her hand tightly. "It's all right. I'm here. Shhh. It's okay."

Mitsy sighed heavily, and tightly clasped her other little hand on his large one, and pressed it firmly against her face. "Oh, Woody!" She moaned. "It's you. I'm so glad you're here! Oh, I...I thought..."

"Shhh. Don't talk. Just breathe. Easy, easy. Breathe, that's it," Woody whispered to her. "Yeah, good girl. It's okay." He was attempting to turn around toward Buzz and Jessie when Mitsy roughly jerked his hand back.

"Don't leave!" She begged, sounding abandoned. Woody was torn up inside.

"Hey! No, of course not. I'm not gonna leave." Woody tried to calm her. "I'm right here. I'm not going to leave you. It's okay." He looked back at Buzz and Jessie who were still looking in, concern and anxiety written all over their faces. He signed to them in Sign Language with his free hand: _Keep everyone else out of here, except Slinky. Keep them distracted._ _Take them all to the living room and try to get a movie going, but make sure they stay there!_ _Give us some time._ Buzz nodded sadly, but Jessie lingered. Buzz gently pulled her arm and they reluctantly walked away. Woody helped Mitsy up and brought her to a container of beads and string, and set her in a sitting position up against the wall. A few minutes later Buzz quietly stuck his head in.

"Everyone's out of here, Woody." Buzz informed him. "Do you need anything else?"

"No. Thanks, Buzz." Woody nodded.

"Oh, sure. Slinky will be in the hallway in case you need something." Buzz glanced toward the sad little doll sitting against the wall, then back to Woody. "Y _ou sure you can handle this?"_ Buzz asked in a low tone. " _She looks really shook up. Jessie and I can stay if you need us, it's no trouble."_

Woody smiled a small smile. He sighed and bit his lip. "Thanks, Buzz. But I'll deal with this, well, uh...try to. Thanks for all your help, partner. I appreciate it."

"Hey, we're a family. That's what true friends do." Buzz smiled.

"Right." Woody nodded sadly. Then Buzz left. Woody threw up the blanket fold to his right so that they could have some light under the bed. Woody took a deep breath and looked at the princess: she was trembling all over. He came over and sat down next to her, rubbing her back. She clutched her arms around herself. "What's wrong, Little Bit?" Woody asked. It seemed like a very stupid question because it was obvious that she was grieving, but he hoped that she was beginning to let it out. "I know it hurts, but..." The princess gasped loudly.

"Why?!" Mitsy blurted out. "Why, Woody? Why did it have to be Jack?! Why did he have to be killed? It isn't fair! He didn't deserve to die. He didn't do anything. He never did a thing in his life to deserve this!" She gulped. "He was my friend. The very first friend I ever had! My best friend! How can I even think of...how can I live without him, knowing I'll never, ever see him again? I don't want to!" Her words all ran together. Woody's brows furrowed in sympathy. He continued to rub her shoulders. "Why does life have to be so upside down? Why do evil toys like Spike and...and Lotso even exist? Why do they get away with their crimes and innocent toys they attack suffer for _their_ actions? It's not fair!"

"I don't understand that part either, Little Bit," Woody said solemnly. "At some point, life was unfair to Lotso and Spike, just as much as this is to you, but they made bad choices and let it control their lives. And now they want to punish anyone they can for it." Mitsy trembled harder and her teeth chattered.

"I don't care!" She exclaimed, her fingers digging into her cotton arms. "That doesn't give them any right to cause more pain in the world, to...to hurt other toys, or to...to M-MURDER!" Mitsy painstakingly looked up at the ceiling of Bonnie's bed. Woody firmly gripped her shoulders with his hands. "Jack never did anything to Spike, and he...he...that...that big, evil...heartless m-monster k-killed him! Just for the fun of it!" Mitsy screeched. "No one has the right to stoop so low as to hurt someone else for amusement! I don't ever want to meet anyone like that ever again! All they do is hurt you!" Mitsy clenched her fists and raised them up to her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart." Woody shook his head and kept his arm around her. "I know. It's so not fair. And it's not right! But Jack was nothing like them. I thought last night that you were beginning to feel better. I guess we were all rushing you. I'm sorry. But, honey, you can't spend the rest of your life alone, in the dark, hiding under here." He gently ran his fingers through her hair.

"I understand that." Mitsy replied. "And I truly don't want to. It gets lonesome. But I...I..."

"What, Mitsy? What is it, Sweetie?" Woody asked. "I'm listening."

"I had a horrible dream and...it...it just made everything come back at once." Mitsy's voice was breaking up. She bit her lip and shook her head.

"What happened?" Woody asked tenderly, bracing himself. "Please tell me."

"Well," Mitsy began shakily, "we were back at the warehouse, and...and Jack was still in the hole. I...I was duct taped to the wall and I couldn't reach him. I'm not sure where you guys were, I couldn't see you! All of those horrid gang members were standing up on a ledge with Spike. But...but Potato Head was with them! And so was L-Lotso! They all took turns pushing the button that controlled the crate. They were saying the most terrible things about Jack, about...about how he was untrustworthy and didn't care about us! They also said that he was getting what he deserved. They said it every time they pushed the button! They were laughing too. Oh, Woody!" Mitsy shuddered, looking fearfully into his caring yet aching golden brown eyes. "It was just so horrible. Their hideous laughing was absolutely demonic! I'm not kidding! The crate kept banging on the floor on and off, crushing Jack, then coming up but giving him no time to escape.

'I yelled, I begged, I screamed at them to stop! But they sneered at me and kept doing it. Then...then..." Mitsy was gasping now, and Woody gripped her arms. "Then L-Lotso came up to me, to my f-face, smiling wickedly. Oh, Woody! It...it was that same look that was on his face when...when w-we were y-yelling at him to p-push the off button for the i-incinerator!'" Mitsy shivered with horror, clasping her head in her hands, as the terrifying memory remained etched in her mind.

"Oh, Mitsy," Woody groaned sadly, scooting closer to her and wrapping his arms around her. "It's all right, honey. I'm right here. I've got ya."

Mitsy shook her head and continued. "He stood in front of me and smirked at me...

 _'If your precious Jack loves you so much, why doesn't he rescue you? He's going to die, and it's your fault! If it wasn't for you, he wouldn't be in this situation. All your stupid friends are going to die too...because of YOU!'_ Then Lotso...then he...he slapped me across my face and laughed an evil laugh saying, _'Where's your hero now, princess?'"_

Woody grimaced in anger and squeezed Mitsy tightly. She continued. "He went back and taunted Jack! _'What's the matter?'_ he said. _'Too weak to fight back, huh? Come on, save yourself, you big, brave hero!'"_

"Oh, Mitsy. Sweetheart!" Woody exclaimed. "I'm so sorry! But it was a dream. I'm right here with you." Mitsy started gulping hard and her shoulders heaved up and down.

"Oh, Woody!" She cried. "I...I feel like this sadness is going to kill me!" She was wringing her hands. "I feel like something is pressing a brick on top of me, pinning me, and I can't get out! I...I feel like something's ripping me apart inside. Woody, you remember when Andy accidentally ripped your arm, and left you at home instead of taking you with him to Cowboy Camp?"

"I sure do." Woody said lowly.

"What did it feel like? Did it hurt much?"

"Yeah, it hurt some. But I felt worse when I was set on the shelf and he left me behind."

"I feel like my heart's been ripped apart! When you all try to comfort me, it feels patched back up a bit, but...but..." She was trying to find the right words.

"But it feels like it's seeping?" Woody finished for her. He perfectly understood that feeling from his own personal, grievous losses. He could empathize very much with her, losing a close loved one and never, ever seeing them again.

"Yes! That's it exactly. And then something, _something_ always rips it back open! Oh, Woody! It...it hurts! It hurts so much!" She was clutching her chest. "I miss Jack so much!" Mitsy sobbed. "I loved him, like I've never loved any toy or kid before. I miss him! He was my dog. And I didn't even get to say good-bye to him, or...or tell him how much I loved him! I just...I just feel so lonely!" Then she broke out into uncontrollable weeping. Woody scooped her up onto his lap and held her close to his heart. She clung to him for dear life. His heart ached for her as he listened to her cries of despair. He felt helpless as he was vibrated by her small shoulders shaking with grief. He was supposed to protect her, take care of her.

From the beginning, Woody had felt a father's love and responsibility to Mitsy (just like his brotherly love, affection, and protection for Jessie, his little sister), even if he was a toy. She'd become like his 'adopted daughter', especially when he lost Bo Peep. Right now, he stroked Mitsy's long, curly hair and shushed to her, hoping it would calm her down. He'd remembered seeing Andy's mom do this before sometimes, when Andy was grieving for his dad. This was something Woody had hoped that he would never, ever have to do. Yet, what else could he do? He'd been Mitsy's guide and protector since she came. He'd been able to chase her fears away, or at least in her mind, he did. He was supposed to have the answer to her problems. And, here he was, unable to wipe away the heaviness that tormented her. Oh, how Woody wished that he could trample the pain into the ground and make it leave her alone!

Woody also sadly realized that all the false accusations made against her dog, whether they were uttered out of fear or malice, had hurt her more than he and the other toys had realized. They had been more than just offensive opinions, they'd cut her very much. He was glad that _for once_ in his life, he hadn't said something he'd regret, at least not that he could remember. He was relieved that he'd given Jack a chance, though he couldn't deny his friends' opinions could've been true.

Oh, how rage had surged through his heart, body, down to his very core when they had all heard that chilling, devilish laugh that Spike bellowed after he'd murdered another toy! Woody would never, ever forget how the hateful anger had clashed into him like a bolt of electricity. That had been another tragic moment in their lives that none of them would ever forget, and apparently, that evil laugh was going to haunt Mitsy forever, for the rest of her life.

Woody rested his chin on top of her head as he kept her clasped against his chest with his arms around her in a protective circle. Toys couldn't shed tears, but he'd almost felt as if he actually was when Bo Peep was sold, when Andy gave him up, and...and now too. If toys could shed tears, he knew Mitsy would be crying a boatload. Right now he didn't care if it looked foolish or weird, he couldn't help himself: Woody actually softly brushed her face, wiping away imaginary tears, and she clung to him even tighter when he did. Woody tenderly kissed her cheek and rocked back and forth with her in his arms as she cried on.

" _My poor little princess!"_ Woody whispered, shaking his head in agony.

* * *

 **Woody is so kind and compassionate. He is my absolute favorite! There was never any doubt or question, that he would be the comforter in this chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7 It Can't Be!

**Listen up closely: you DON'T want to miss this chapter! You've got to read it all the way through!**

 **It mentions some Woody/Bo Peep from the past in here. I haven't written any stories of them being reunited because at first I wasn't sure what Toy Story4 was going to show, until the announcement came out. But still, so far I've left things as is between them and decided to wait and find out.**

* * *

Woody wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting in his remained spot, but it felt like hours. He just held the princess and let her release her grief. He hadn't said anything for a while. When she'd slowly started to calm down a bit, she looked up at him, sniffling. "W-Woody, will you s-show me the bottom of your b-boot? C-can I see it, please?" Mitsy asked shakily. Woody slowly raised his foot, the one with Andy's name on it. A lump rose in the cowboy's throat as he saw the familiar handwriting, and everything it symbolized and held for him in that one little word. Mitsy gently, almost reverently ran her fingers over the letters. She looked up at him sadly. "Do you miss Andy a lot, really badly?" She asked.

"Uh-huh," Woody sighed, nodding. "I sure do."

"I miss him too. And...and Bo Peep?" She asked reluctantly.

"Yes." Woody bit his lip to keep his composure.

"Me too. Woody, was..was this how you felt when Bo Peep was sold?" Mitsy asked nervously, but yearning for an answer. The sad cowboy looked down into her grieving blue eyes.

"Uh-huh." He nodded, sighing heavily. "Yes, I did."

"Well, that makes me feel a little better." Mitsy said. "At least I know that someone else understands what it's like. But...but how did...how did you..." She stammered.

"How did I survive it and press on?" Woody finished.

"Yes! How did you reach the point where you can still smile _now?"_

"It was on the hardest things I ever had to do, letting go of Bo," Woody answered slowly. "I remember feeling that _I too wanted to die._ She was the light of my life, I didn't see how it was possible that I could _live_ anymore. But you all, especially Buzz and Jessie didn't give up on me. Everyone had problems or subjects that they said needed my attention. It hurt unlike anything I'd ever thought possible. I used to think that only owners could go through pain like this, but I came to realize that wasn't so.

'The best comfort I received was the love and friendship everyone continued to give me: listening ears, finding problems for me to solve, but especially giving me space and time to grieve over my loss, but not letting me be completely alone the rest of my life! If Andy didn't have all of you guys around at the time, if I had been all alone, I believe I would've completely given up on everything. But with good friends like Buzz, that wasn't going to happen.'"

"But weren't you sometimes afraid to...to _feel_? Because all you could feel was pain?" Mitsy asked again. Woody sadly smiled at her.

"Yes, Mitsy, darling." He continued. "I did! But as time went by, the pain wasn't as gagging. After a while, I realized how wasted I was, not living. Bo wouldn't want to see me that way, as Buzz has told me so many times. And he was right: she wouldn't! I had to feel if I was ever going to look after everybody. That was the one good thing about Andy growing up. He was beginning to withdraw from our playtime, and you guys needed me. It was a scary, unsure time, and it was my honor bounded duty to make sure you were all taken care of. That gave me the feeling of still being needed and gave me purpose."

"You certainly proved that when you told Andy in the note to give us to Bonnie," Mitsy said lowly. "But doesn't it still ache after all these years, Woody, wanting to have Bo back when you two were clearly meant to be together?"

Woody cleared his throat and pulled her face toward him with his hand under her chin. He wanted to have direct eye contact for what he was going to say next. "Yes!" He exclaimed fervently. "Yes, it does. But one thing that gave me hope was knowing Bo was alive when she left, and I'm still dreaming and hoping that maybe...maybe someday, we'll find each other again." Mitsy's face dropped.

"I felt that way... _once..."_ She became silent and hung her head. Woody's brows furrowed again and he gently stroked her cheek.

"Did I...did I ever tell you, cowboy, how much you all mean to me?" Mitsy asked. "Did I ever tell you all how wonderful you are, that you're all the greatest friends ever?"

"I seem to recall hearing it before," Woody smiled, trying to cheer her up a little. But then they fell silent again.

"Woody, I don't think I'll ever know what it's like to be happy again!" Mitsy sank her head into his chest. "Jack's gone, forever! I-I feel like I can't breathe... in my mind. Will it be like this forever? It hurts so badly!" Woody kissed her forehead and sighed.

"No, honey. It won't." He shook his head.

"It won't?"

"No." Woody said softly. "Not if you allow yourself to let out your feelings, and let your heart love those around you, the friends who care about you. They need you and you need them. Bask in their affection and care. Being needed and cared for is one of the most important things in the world when you have a broken heart, and it goes a long way to cure or at least embalm some of the pain."

"But it will always hurt, won't it?" Mitsy asked.

"Yes. Loss will always hurt, Mitsy, honey. But you're not always sad when you think of or talk about Maddie, are you?"

"N-no. Not always." Mitsy answered, almost in a whisper. "Only when I think about her death. T-this isn't like the Bible stories that Bonnie learns about in Sunday School, Woody. You know, where people came back to life and were raised from the dead," Mitsy said wearily. "Or the Disney movies where some magic kiss or something makes someone alive again. Jack, he...he's gone! He's dead... _forever!"_ She grimaced and leaned up against him and began to cry a little again. Woody stroked her hair. Woody decided it was time to stop talking. He didn't want to overwhelm her with a bunch of advice. He'd learned and experienced personally that advice was very small comfort in the midst of pain.

"You and Andy certainly had something special, no one could deny that." Mitsy finally said wistfully, resting her head on his shoulder again.

 _Some would,_ Woody thought as he remembered the Prospector and Lotso.

"For me, living with Bonnie has almost been like having Maddie back in my life! But you and Andy, that special bond is what made you who you are, the faithful leader we all know and love. Andy writing his own name on your foot was a wonderful gift. It's a reminder that you'll always be able to carry with you, Woody, no matter where you are or go. A reminder of all the good you _did_ have in life at Andy's, of what you and Bo shared together. She was such a large part of it." Mitsy grew silent and just sat there, leaning on him.

Woody turned his head away, all choked up himself, so Mitsy couldn't see the emotion filling it. He was moved but also saddened by what she'd said. He realized that it was true, but also with dismay that Mitsy had nothing physical at all with her to serve as a reminder of Jack or her happy life with Maddie. Nothing, except thin memories. It dawned on him that she envied what he no longer had at his fingertips, but that was still a visible part of him.

* * *

The other toys were all in the living room, watching a DVD copy of Swiss Family Robinson on the TV screen. Hamm, Buttercup, Potato Head, and Pricklepants were all muttering to themselves and criticizing the on screen characters' methods of transporting the livestock from the ship back to land. The rest just tried to enjoy the movie, but not everyone was in the mood for all the jungle excitement that was to come. Jessie sat forlornly in the farthest corner of the sofa, leaning back against the arm, hugging her knees. Buzz sat cross-legged right next to her, and kept his hand on her shoulder. Neither of them felt too cheerful. They were concerned about Woody and his "daughter" back in Bonnie's room. Jessie wished so badly to be in there, offering what comfort she could, yet Buzz was grateful that she wasn't, grateful that she didn't have to hear the horrible, heavy wailing that was going on. Jessie glanced sadly at Buzz. "I wish there was _something_ I could do!" She whimpered. She hated feeling so helpless and useless.

"We _are_ doing something, Jessie," Buzz whispered soothingly. "We just wish we could do more." Jessie nodded. Then they heard a small whine below them and turned to the source: it was Slinky. "Is everything all right? Does Woody need us to come back, Slink?" Buzz asked, ready for action.

Slinky shook his head dejectedly. "I don't know!" He cried. "Can I please sit up here with you guys?" He asked longingly.

"Aw, sure, Slink. Come right over here." Jessie smiled, patting the empty spot next to her. The unhappy dog quickly scrambled up the cushion and curled down close to Jessie. She sweetly rubbed his head.

"Are you okay, Slink? What's the matter, little buddy?" Buzz asked. Slinky placed his paw over his snout and sniffled. Jessie patted his springy back and stroked him.

"I can't stand it anymore! I wish Jack didn't die! I miss him. He was a good friend, and...and..." Slinky gulped. "I don't think I can live like this anymore with Mitsy so sad! I hate seeing her like this, and I don't know if she'll ever get better!' Buzz and Jessie exchanged long faces.

"Buzz, maybe we should go and help Woody," Jessie moaned. Buzz bit his lip.

"I think you're right, Jess," He solemnly agreed. He was about to stand when his keen eyes glanced out the window. He gasped when he saw the Andersons' car about to pull in the driveway! "Everybody! Turn off the movie, NOW! And get back to Bonnie's room, on the double! They're home!" He ordered frantically. Pricklepants pressed the off power button on the remote and everyone scurried like lightning back to their owner's bedroom. They all reached there just in time and panted with relief. Buzz and Jessie were all at the same time glad and worried by the apparent silence coming from under the bed. Oh, they both wanted to rush under and see if everything was okay, but they didn't get the chance.

* * *

Woody was so wrapped up in his thoughts at pondering Mitsy's words, that he didn't even notice Bonnie burst into the room excitedly jabbering, and then run out. He didn't hear the jubilant squeals. How there was any earthly way he could've missed it was nearly impossible, _but_ he didn't even detect Jessie's wild hooting and hollering, "It's you! It's you! I can't believe it! Yeehaw! It's _really_ you! It's you!" Woody was sitting there quietly, embracing Mitsy tenderly when Jessie, Buzz, and Slinky burst in on them, startling the cowboy and the princess, causing them to jump.

"Hey!" Woody exclaimed. " _What_ was that about?" He'd expected them to have more respect, especially Buzz. But the Space Ranger didn't notice.

"Mitsy! Mitsy!" Jessie squealed, jumping up and down. "Come out! You've got to see!"

"W-what?" Mitsy asked shakily, wide-eyed but confused.

"Come on!" Buzz smiled widely, beckoning with his hand. "Come and see!"

"Well, don't just sit there!" Slinky smiled.

"I'm not ready to see anybody right now." Mitsy sniffled, still sitting there. Buzz and Jessie ignored her remark, grinned widely at each other, and each grabbed one of her arms and dragged her out, her feet not touching the ground.

"Wait a minute! Buzz! Guys? _What_ is going on?" Woody asked curiously, standing up.

"Come and see for yourself, Sheriff!" Buzz grinned big.

"Yeah! You come out too, Woody! You won't believe it!" Slinky bobbed up and down, wagging his tail.

"Jessie, what is this?" Mitsy asked. They set her in the middle of the floor, Jessie squeaking like a little bird. Mitsy froze and gasped. Woody couldn't believe his eyes! Standing in the center of the bedroom, surrounded by a crowd of Bonnie's curious and flabbergasted toys, was...was...was _Jack_! He stood tall, trying to listen to everyone at once.

"No way!" Woody yelped, smiling and smacked his forehead. "Pull my string, I don't believe it. He's alive!" He, Jessie, Buzz, and Slinky all looked at their princess friend, beaming for her. But Mitsy was not. She wasn't smiling, she wasn't even excited. In fact, her eyes were wide with...with not only disbelief, but also _worry_. She lost her footing and stumbled backwards, her legs dropped to the floor. "Whoa, whoa, hey," Woody chuckled as he and Jessie helped her back up.

"Mitsy, it's Jack," Jessie said to her. "He's not dead! He's here, standin' in the room!"

"No." Mitsy said sadly, shaking her head. "N-no. N-n-no."

"Huh? What's the matter?" Slinky asked, confused. _I thought she'd be happy._ "Aren't you excited, Mitsy?"

"It can't be!" Mitsy declared. "I'm dreaming. I have to be. Pinch me."

"What?" Woody gaped.

"Someone pinch me. Please." Mitsy insisted. Jessie shrugged and pinched Mitsy's stuffed elbow. "Ouch! That hurt." She gripped her arm. _He's just another Jack_ _that_ _Mrs. Anderson bought. But he's not_ _ **my**_ _Jack!_ Then she saw the faded collar written in Maddie's hand: _**JACK!**_ Faded...but still there! "Ooohh," Mitsy said shakily, trembling. She was so overwhelmed by this roller-coaster of all the raw, painful emotions that were now supposed to be turned into jubilee. Her full emotions were spinning in a hundred different directions so much that she didn't have the willpower to step forward.

"Well? What are ya waiting for?" Slinky persisted. He was anxiously waiting to see the reunion.

"Yeah. Go on!" Jessie grinned, and she gave Mitsy a shove. The princess tip-toed a few steps forward, then looked back at her friends, unsure. They were all smiling encouragingly. Jessie motioned for her to keep going. Slinky was furiously wagging his tail. Buzz nodded.

 _Go for it!_ Woody mouthed. Mitsy gulped, smiled weakly, and pressed on.

Her heart thudded so loudly she was sure it was echoing throughout the room. She had her eyes on one place: the large, stuffed dog surrounded by the other toys. At first, she forced one foot in front of the other, then began to run. It all seemed like slow motion. She hardly felt the floor underneath her feet, it truly felt like running on air. She inched closer and closer. It was like running in a dream, which she was still sure she was doing. _Don't go, Jack! Don't go!_ Her thoughts kept screaming. She expected him to vanish into thin air any second.

Woody was no psychic, but he felt confident that he had a pretty good idea how the princess was feeling. He would probably be feeling the same way, if it had been _Bo Peep_ who was standing in the room right now instead of Jack. Suddenly, he felt another lump in his throat.

 _No, no, no._ He thought to himself. _Not now. Bo would want me to be happy for them. It's a miracle! I am happy for her!_

"Are you sure you're not a ghost?" Rex asked excitedly.

"Of course not!" Hamm answered.

"Ghosts don't have scars or stitches, you big, green goof," Potato Head remarked, annoyed. Jack grinned, shaking his head. His eyes scanned the bedroom. He seemed to be searching for something.

"J...J..." Mitsy couldn't seem to get the words out. They felt stuck in her throat."J...J...Ja...Jack! _JACK!"_ All the toys turned around and Jack's jaw dropped. He knelt on the floor with his front paws and his tail wagged happily as she finally reached him. "Jack!" Mitsy ran up to him excitedly, and he grabbed her up in a warm, squeezing embrace with his big paws. He swung her back and forth a few times, then set her down. "Oh, Jack. I thought I'd never, _ever_ see you again!"

"Mitsy, I...I can't believe it's you," Jack said happily. "I-I had no idea."

"Is it really you?" She asked, hanging onto his snout.

"Take a look," Jack said and tilted his head toward his stitches throughout his body-his _battle scars,_ his _wounds_ \- and she grimaced as she reached out her hand and lightly touched them.

"Does that hurt?" She asked with gritted teeth.

"Oh, no." Jack shook his head. "It feels good."

"So, this is the big, brave hero!" Mrs. Potato Head exclaimed.

"Ooo," the three aliens cooed.

"You gave us a real scare, partner," Woody said. "But, hey, welcome back! It's so good to see ya!"

"I sorely missed ya, pal." Slinky spoke up. "We thought you were a goner!"

"Yeah. Hey, what really happened anyway?" Hamm asked. "We'd heard that you were dead."

"Tell us!" The Peas-in-a-Pod, Trixie, and Rex begged together.

"Well, I-I was dead," Jack began. "Or at least I thought I was. It turns out that during the night, some anonymous toys used a forklift to remove the broken crate off of me. I didn't know it at the time, or _anything_ for that matter, but they rushed me out of the warehouse to a shed a few parking lots away. I found out later, that they used an air pump-the kind for puffing up bicycle tires-to resuscitate me! When I woke up with an extremely foggy mind, I was surrounded by toys. But not just any toys: they were ones I previously helped escape! I slowly recognized them.

'One of them, fortunately for me, happened to be Dr. Bones, a plastic cartoon character action figure who had originally been misplaced by his owner's cousin. I had lost a lot of my stuffing, too much he'd said. So they stitched me back up, and kept me in observation for a day, then sent me to a daycare center via a Pizza Planet truck.'"

"But how did the doctor know that you were in trouble?" Buzz asked.

"He's very sharp." Jack answered. "He and the others have established a secret set of tiny microphones throughout the warehouse, and the sounds waving through them bounce back to a satellite system set up inside the shed, so that the good doctor and company can hear what's going on. They heard the crash and knew I was in big trouble! Dr. Bones has led the group into a mission of mercy. They try to help and put back together broken, marred toys the gang has tortured, who are lucky to have escaped, _if_ at all! They use the Yellow Pages and the newspaper to figure out the best places to send the toys for recuperation, if they aren't able to help them return to their owners."

"Ah, a real hospital and place of refuge born out of inspiration from gallantry and heroism." Mr. Pricklepants declared passionately. "Classically gripping."

"You said that you were taken to a daycare center," Dolly spoke up curiously.

"Yes," Jack replied. "The mother of the little girl, Bonnie who brought me here, works there."

"Sunnyside," all the toys said together.

"Yes. That's right. But, how did you know?" Jack asked, surprised but confused. Then he smacked his snout. "Well, duh! Your owner's mom works there and Bonnie attends school there. Sorry. I'm not thinking clearly." Jack shook his head.

"It's okay. That's only part of it, but that's a story for another time," Dolly answered.

"Anyway," Jack continued, "Mrs. Anderson was sorting through the donations box and found me with some books. She noticed my stitches and said that she didn't think I'd be safe at the daycare center with a bunch of really young children in what she called the Caterpillar room. She thought they might pull my stitches out. She considered sending me to the Butterfly room, but decided first to show me to Bonnie and ask if she wanted me. That adorable, bright eyed youngster said that she would gladly bring me home to take care of me…

* * *

 _..."Bonnie?" Mrs. Anderson asked her little girl as they exited the library with an armload of new, exciting books Bonnie couldn't wait to read._

" _Yeah, Mommy?" Bonnie asked eagerly, looking up._

" _I have something to show you." Mrs. Anderson replied. She placed the books in the backseat, then opened the trunk of the car._

" _What? What is it, Mommy?"_

" _I found this in the donations box at Sunnyside yesterday." Mrs. Anderson explained. "I thought I'd check on what had been given while the book fair was going on. Anyway, I wasn't sure if he would be safe at daycare, so..."_

" _If who would be safe, Mommy? Is it a pet?" Bonnie asked, bouncing excitedly up and down, anxious to see what her mommy was holding back. Her eyes were wide with expectation._

" _Well, not exactly," Mrs. Anderson chuckled, and Bonnie sulked._

" _Aw," she stuck out her lip and stared at the ground. Then her mom pulled out of the trunk a medium-sized, stuffed German Shepherd dog. Bonnie's jaw dropped and she squealed happily. "A dog!" She exclaimed and reached her begging arms out. Mrs. Anderson smiled and handed the toy to her._

" _Would you like to have him, Bonnie?" She asked._

" _Oh, yes, Mommy! Yes! Can I keep him?" Bonnie asked._

" _If you treat him as nicely as you do your other toys, you may keep him."_

" _Yay!" Bonnie jumped happily up and down, clutching Jack to herself, then she held him back to look at him. "Hello, Mr. Doggie. You're coming to live with me! We'll have lots of fun. Hey, what happened to you, Mr. Doggie? Mommy, look." Bonnie pointed out his many stitches._

" _Looks like this brave dog has been through a really rough time." Mrs. Anderson stated. Bonnie cocked her head in sympathy._

" _Awww. Well, don't worry, Mr. Doggie. I'll take care of you and never let any mean person beat you up!"_

 _Inside the car, buckled in her car seat, Bonnie forgot all about the books and couldn't stop gazing at her new toy. "Mommy?"_

" _Yes, Bonnie?" Mrs. Anderson replied._

" _Is this his name?" Bonnie asked. "It says J-A-C-K."_

" _I suppose it must be. That spells Jack."_

" _So, your name is Jack? I like it." Bonnie smiled. "Hi, Jack. Sorry I forgot to tell you my name. I'm Bonnie Anderson. We're going to have lots of fun, and I hope you make a whole bunch of new friends"..._

* * *

'I kept wondering why the name _Bonnie Anderson_ sounded so familiar to me. If it wasn't for the rip in my cloth skull, I would've remembered instantly,'" Jack chuckled, rubbing the top of his head. "It was an odd feeling when Bonnie dropped me off in here. In the car, I was thinking to myself, _I think I'm going to like living here._ When Bonnie leaves this bedroom, I don't know anybody in this place. And these other playthings gather around me, and several of them are calling my name! Boy, was _I_ surprised!'"

"Not any more than we were." Hamm declared, grinning and shaking his head.

"And so, here you are!" Trixie exclaimed, smiling at Jack.

"Are you absolutely sure that you were almost dead?" Buttercup asked. Jessie's eyes narrowed and she not-so-lightly swatted his head.

"Hey! Take it easy, Wrangler Jane." Buttercup moaned, shaking his head. "What did I say?"

Woody rolled his eyes. "Listen here, _Peggy,"_ He said in annoyed toned, using the nickname Mitsy had invented for the unicorn when he was too much of a wise guy. "Honestly, what kind of stupid question was that?"

"How would I know?" Buttercup glared, embarrassed by the nickname. "I wasn't there."

"Ugh. You beat everything." Woody groaned.

"Well, we were there!" Jessie snapped. She remembered the horrible tragedy that had unfolded before her eyes and all the aches that had come with it for everyone who'd seen it. She didn't in any way appreciate the stuffed unicorn's disrespect for the tribulation. "Don't talk like that again, you! You do and I'll more than give you a smack."

"Okay, okay," Buttercup sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Humph." Jessie rolled her eyes.

"Oh, we'd all thought you were dead," Mrs. Potato Head sighed to Jack, clasping her face in her hands. "And Mitsy's been so heartbroken missing you, the poor dear."

"Aye, we nearly expected she'd be dying of a broken heart by now." Pricklepants remarked.

"Pricklepants, you're not helping." Buzz scolded. "You don't need to romanticize this."

"I'm only speaking the truth." The hedgehog responded.

Jack's face dropped and he thoughtfully looked at Mitsy, who slowly met his eyes and nodded. His brows furrowed in pity and he wrapped a big paw around her, pulling her close. "Well, it's all right." He said reassuringly. "I'm here now. A little worse for wear but, hey. At least I'm all in one piece!"

"And that's all that matters," Buzz said. "Welcome to Bonnie's room. We're honored for you to be here with us." He extended his hand out and Jack took it with his paw.

"Thanks. Well, looks like I have a whole load of new friends to meet. Please forgive me if I don't remember everybody's names right away. I think my head injury has left me a little slower than I used to be." Jack said.

"I don't care!" Mitsy exclaimed, hugging his large, strong body. "I'm just glad you're alive!"

"Well, this is quite an event," Dolly said.

"Yeah. I think this calls for a little ceremony," Trixie smiled.

"Ceremony?" Buttercup, Potato Head, and Hamm all asked, as if they'd never heard of such a thing.

"Sure. Why not?"

"I think Trixie is right." Woody spoke up, smiling. If things were different and it was Bo Peep who was here right now, even though he and she would try to slip away often for time alone with each other, Woody knew in his heart that his old friends also missed the shepherdess very much and they would want to celebrate in a big way. Plus, what they'd thought they'd have to perform as a mourning ritual was no longer needed. "We'll do it." Woody declared, with his hands on his hips. What he'd thought was going to be a funeral service was now going to be a celebration.

"Whew! You mean we're going to have a party?" Rex inquired excitedly.

Before anyone could answer, they heard their lovable owner rushing to the room. They all froze. Bonnie opened the door. "Oh no!" She gasped as she scooped up Woody and Mitsy. _"Sheriff Woody, you've got to help us!"_ She was making the princess's voice. " _Our ship the_ _ **Captain Jack**_ _has been stolen by the evil witch! And it's going to be swallowed whole by the ferocious sea monster (Rex)! You've got to save it! And she has_ _my subjects as_ _prisoners in the hold too. What are we going to do?!"_

" _Have no fear, little lady,"_ Bonnie said, trying to deepen her voice and make Woody sound fearless. _"I know what to do! Sheriff Woody is here to save the day!"_ Bonnie set Dolly (the evil witch) on Jack's (the ship _Captain Jack_ ) back, laughing haughtily. She tossed Jessie, Mrs. Potato Head, Buttercup, Pricklepants, the Peas, and Totoro in her 'spaceship' box where they were held prisoner in the ship's hold. The three aliens were Dolly's galley slaves maneuvering the boat, with Mr. Potato Head the cruel overseer whipping them. Hamm as Evil Dr. Porkchop was Dolly's navigator. Mitsy was the only survivor ashore who wasn't taken prisoner, Dolly was going to come back for her later. The witch had left the princess behind, all alone with only her faithful dog, Slinky for company. Dolly was intending to return and cast a spell on Mitsy, shrinking her and trapping her in an enchanted jewel box which would be locked forever unless someone brave and kind arrived and defeated the evil witch. And after imprisoning the princess, Dolly and Dr. Porkchop were going to ruthlessly force the kingdom inhabitants to be their slaves! Mitsy and Slinky made friends with a lonely, homeless, starving dinosaur, Trixie but they were all afraid, awaiting their fate. Jack's stitches turned out to be old patched up cannon ball holes that had been fired at the ship from past battles with pirates. Naturally, in this made up adventure Bonnie made Woody the hero along with the help of his trusty steed Bullseye, his best deputy Jessie the wrangling cowgirl, and their Number 1 comrade, Buzz Lightyear the fearless Space Ranger from Star Command. Together, the 4 of them rescued the ship, freed the prisoners, defeated Dolly, and restored the land to the princess. She named Sheriff Woody to be her trusted, valiant Commander and Chief over all her kingdom. Jessie was granted to be his second in command, only this time with the royal insignia symbols on them. Jessie was also to be in charge of the ship _**Captain Jack.** _ Buzz Lightyear was honored as a great hero for his assistance and bravery, and he was to be always treated with the utmost respect and greeted with a whole kingdom celebration any time he visited from Star Command. Slinky faithfully remained as the princess's trusted friend and companion. As for Rex, 'the sea monster', he decided that he would be nice from now on and became the Royal Roamer of the land, swimming in the ocean spotting and chasing away bad guy ships. And he fell in love with Trixie, who was adopted by the princess as her Royal Pet, and became part of Woody's roundup army when the need arose.

Bonnie happily played with her toys for hours. She was delighted with the newest addition to her playmates. She'd instantly fallen in love with Jack the moment she'd seen him. Jack thrived in the playtime. Oh, it felt so good to be loved by a child again! How long had it been since he'd last experienced this? It had been years!


	8. Chapter 8 The Ceremony

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. Includes some Buzz/Jessie.**

* * *

Two nights later, while Bonnie was attending open house at Sunnyside with her parents, her toys were holding a special ceremony in Jack's honor. Only it wasn't a funeral service: it was a commemoration for his integrity and marvelous bravery. They used the long hallway rug in place of a red carpet. Several of the toys were seated on the floor on opposite sides of the rug. Woody, Buzz, and Pricklepants were standing on a pile of board games that served as a stage. Mitsy walked at Jack's side up the aisle as they faced the three officials presiding the whole affair. Trixie had found a CD of patriotic band music from the Andersons' collection and set it to play in the CD player. Mitsy backed up and stood to the side, her face beaming.

Jessie smiled fondly at Buzz who stood proudly on the platform, seriously savoring his role in this solemn occasion. To his cowgirl, he looked every bit as strong, robust, handsome, sharp, and proud as he had on their wedding day. Jessie made sure no one else was watching, and she softly blew the Space Ranger a kiss, to which he returned with a subtle salute.

Pricklepants stepped forward and spoke loud and clear. "We are gathered together here tonight to commemorate the outstanding heroism of the newest member in our community." For such a fearless dog, Jack bit his lip, shy at all this special attention. He was glad his back was to the audience. If he was able to, he'd be blushing. The hedgehog stepped back as Woody walked forward in his place. In his hands he was holding a medal that Dolly, Mrs. Potato Head, Jessie, and Trixie had made for Jack. They'd sewn together ribbons from Bonnie's crafting supplies to form a red, white, and blue strap and then glued a plastic little gold jewel in the middle, and embellished it with gold glitter so that it sparkled.

"Jack," Woody said with pride and admiration," for conspicuous bravery in risking your life to save another, and putting her safety before yours, it is my great honor to present you with this medal. Receive this as a token of our respect and friendship for you." Jack bowed his head with closed eyes as Woody placed the medal around the large dog's neck. Jack slowly raised his head and faced the audience but kept his eyes on the floor. Jessie was the first to stand up and began clapping, and the others followed with whistling, hooting, cheering, and she yodeled happily.

Mitsy eagerly clapped along with all her wonderful friends. She was savoring every moment of this special memory. It was more than just a commemoration of Jack's bravery: it was a time of rejoicing in being together and being alive after almost losing each other. Yes, they were all at home safe, loved and needed by Bonnie, and most of all...they were together! She looked fondly at Woody. He smiled warmly and winked at her and she responded signing _thank you_ with her hand. The cowboy signed back _you're welcome._ Then everyone joined voices in singing _Auld Lang Syne_ as the song's lyrics filled the air from the CD player.

* * *

The toys continued to celebrate with several rounds of fun dancing together. And this time, Rex didn't trip in the middle of his number with Trixie. He stood on one foot and twirled effortlessly around perfectly in time to the music and landed steadily on both feet. Trixie gaped cheerfully, and all the other toys clapped extra loudly for him...even Potato Head.

Then, with a little help from Woody and Mrs. Potato Head, the music flowed into a Spanish tune. Jessie glanced with a squint at Buzz, who bit his lip nervously. He tried to appear nonchalant and stare at the ceiling, but suddenly his legs began twisting and he couldn't stop. He twirled to the middle of the dance floor, and Jessie gleefully sprinted toward him. The song became more lively, and together the Lightyear toys tangoed and did the samba, much to everyone's delight. Jack's jaw dropped. He patted the floor with his paw in applause with everyone else, but he was flabbergasted.

" _Where_ did they pick that up?" Jack asked Dolly.

"Oh, Jessie would be more than happy to tell you." Dolly chuckled.

"I'm impressed!" Jack exclaimed. "I did not see that coming."

"Well, they're an impressive couple." Mrs. Potato Head stated.

"Hey, folks? Everyone come out on the floor!" Woody announced. What followed was a series of square dancing. Buzz wasn't too smooth at it, even after all these years that Jessie had tried to teach him. Jack pretty much just flopped around. Woody called out the moves, happily snapping his fingers and clapping his hands in time to the music. When the music stopped, Jack began doing somersaults and his own doggie fashion dance moves as Mitsy joined him, gracefully sweeping herself under and around his legs. He wrapped his large tail around her, then released her and Mitsy happily twirled like a ballerina. They finished as Jack knelt down with his front paws on the floor, and Mitsy standing tip-toe on his snout, her arms extended as if she'd fly away any minute. Jessie hooted and hollered as everyone else clapped.

The festivities finally ended when Trixie put on softer songs. Most of the toys chose a dancing partner. Jack was sitting on the sidelines. "You want to dance, Jack?" Mitsy asked. Jack sighed and looked at her sympathetically.

"Thanks, Precious. But I think I'll sit this one out. I'll watch you from right here." Jack answered. "I'll just keep Slink company."

"Slink?" Mitsy cocked her head.

"I'm good. It'll give us a chance to get to know each other better." Slink smiled. Mitsy bit her lip curiously.

"Okay." She sighed. Her eyes fell on a lonely figure sitting by himself on the makeshift stage.

Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head swayed close together with their eyes shut. Their three sons were already asleep, worn out from the excitement and so were the peas. Hamm, Buttercup, and Totoro were sitting on the sidelines having a quiet discussion about the newest cars coming out in the next year. Dolly, as she danced with Chuckles, waved happily to Buzz and Jessie who were smoothly dancing, still looking like newlyweds. Rex and Trixie sat this one out but leaned back and forth to the music. Bullseye sat down next to Slinky and Jack.

"How are ya feelin', pal?" Slinky asked Jack.

"I really hate to say it, but I'm a bit tuckered." Jack sighed. "I'm sure that in a couple days, I'll feel like my old self again."

"I hope so. _So,_ what do you think of Bonnie? And all our pals? Ya think you're gonna like living here?" Slinky asked.

"Oh, of course!" Jack barked happily. "Bonnie's adorable. She's a lot like how our Maddie was, Slink. And they all seem like a great bunch of toys, though I haven't gotten to truly know all of them."

"Well, you've got plenty of time for that now." Slinky responded.

"Do you mind if I call you, Slink?" Jack inquired.

"Aw, no! I like it. All the fellas here call me that. I'd be happy for ya to!" Slinky wagged his tail happily. "It already feels like you belong, Jack. And hearing ya call me by my nickname, makes me feel like we _are_ old friends. I'm so glad you're here. And I'm so glad to see Mitsy happy again."

Jack stared at the princess. "Yes, me too." He sighed.

* * *

Woody was sitting quietly on the stage, leaning on his knees with his arms folded. He wore a mingled smile of both joy and sadness. He was truly enjoying the unexpected, wonderful celebration, but...there was still _one_ person, one toy that he sorely wished was here at his side. She would've thrown herself passionately into the swing of things, sharing her princess friend's happiness. He felt that she would tell him right now to go out and join in the fun, but he preferred to remain in the background. Mitsy approached him. "Hey. Ya having fun?" Woody smiled at her.

"Yes, I am!" Mitsy grinned sheepishly, with her hands clasped together. She turned her head back at the dancing group, then glanced back at Woody. "Woody, will you like to dance with me?" She asked.

"Eh, that's okay." Woody grinned nervously, shaking his head. _I really don't feel like it, but I don't want her to know that,_ he thought to himself.

"Oh." Mitsy sighed, biting her lip. "Okay." She turned her back to him, but she looked a little disheartened.

 _Woody, you should be ashamed_ , a voice seemed to smack him upside in his mind.

"Huh? What?" Woody sputtered.

 _This is a special night for her! Don't be an old stick in the mud. This is no time to be feeling sorry for **yourself!** She's disappointed. Go on! Get out there and have a good time! _

" _Okay, Bo. You're right."_ Woody sighed quietly. He stood up and tapped the little princess on the shoulder.

"Yes?" She looked up at him curiously.

"Come on, Little Bit." He smiled, taking her small hand. "I'll dance with ya. Let's go." Mitsy smiled widely and trotted happily at his side.

"Thanks, Big Guy." She chuckled. They took their places on the dance floor and Woody gently led her along to the music. The highest tip of her crown just reached the bottom of his badge, but they didn't care. After a few of some of the most terrible days of their lives in which he'd tried to keep his 'little girl' safe and help her through her sorrow, they could both bask in this moment of peace, relief, and happiness.

"Hopefully, someday, she'll be brought back to you," Mitsy said, looking up at him, breaking the silence. Woody's jaw dropped and he stared down at her.

"Yeah." He said quietly, smiling. Then he stared their friends around them. He did miss Bo at this moment, but he was thankful to be surrounded by toys who cared deeply about him. He glanced down at Mitsy who had her eyes shut and a big smiled on her face. _Heh, heh. My little dreamer,_ he chuckled fondly in thought.

* * *

Buzz was startled awake by the movement of Jessie frantically tossing and turning next to him in the bean bag. "No! NO! Don't! Oh, please don't!" She shrieked. Buzz instantly sat up and shook her shoulders.

"Jessie? Jessie!" He declared, trying to wake her. "Wake up! I'm here! Wake up, Jessie. Wake up!" The cowgirl's eyes fluttered open and they bulged widely in panic. She was gasping frightfully and Buzz could feel her shoulders shaking profusely.

"B-B-Buzz?" She stammered sadly.

"Yes, Jessie. I'm right here. It's okay. We're all safe. We're at Bonnie's." Buzz said reassuringly. He gently stroked her cheek and she tightly gripped his wrist with both hands. She squeezed her eyes shut and started to weep.

"I-it's you. You're here," She cried in a muffled voice. Buzz scooted closer and scooped her into his lap. She clung to him for dear life.

"Yes, Jessie. I'm right here." He said softly. "You were just dreaming. Are you okay?"

"It was all so...so real!" Jessie whimpered.

"Was it about the dump again?"

"No." Jessie shook her head. "I dreamed that we were in the warehouse again. You, Rex, Trixie, Potato Head, and I were all in the storage closet again. Bo Peep was there too! She'd been captured too by those nasty varmints. We were still waiting for Woody, Mitsy, and Slink to come back. Then it was when Trixie told us that the gang was coming. We all tried to hide, but they...they burst in on us before we had the chance!" Buzz softly stroked her braid. "They cornered poor old Rex and were going to knock his block off with a hammer," Jessie continued in a shuddering voice. "Spike snatched Bo Peep in his claws and climbed the shelf with her. You rushed forward to save her, but that horrid bird held you back and you couldn't get away! I scrambled up after the devil. He reached the top and then...then he...he..." Jessie sobbed and clasped the sides of her head with both hands. Buzz pulled her closer to himself.

"He...he...he threw her down to the concrete floor. She...she...she shat-shattered to...to tiny smithereens! It was horrible! I...I sprang forward to give him a taste of his own medicine, but then he grabbed _me_! There was...was.." Jessie shivered violently and her face was filled with horror. "There was a small box just below us! He lifted me high in the air and told his thugs to open it. I screamed, and looked around for you! You were still on the floor, held back by that falcon. You shouted and bellowed but they didn't listen. Then Spike...he...he threw me in! And they...t-they closed the flaps before I could get out!" At this point, Jessie was hyperventilating and Buzz just held her close. He gently rocked back and forth with her in his arms. After about 20 minutes, her breathing became more even but she was still shaking.

"Are you okay?" Buzz asked, trying to break the tense silence.

"Some better," Jessie answered and sighed. "Just hold me for a little while longer. Please?"

"Sure thing." Buzz said. He leaned down on his back, with Jessie resting her head on his shoulder. "Everything's okay, Jessie. We're all here. We're safe. And I'm so glad that your nightmare isn't what really happened there! That _didn't_ happen. We're still together."

Jessie wearily looked into his eyes and weakly smiled. "Yes. We are. I love you, space toy." She whispered contentedly. Then she sighed and closed her eyes.

"I love you, cowgirl." Buzz smiled back.

* * *

It was well past midnight, but a few toys couldn't sleep for anything. Jack cautiously climbed out of Bonnie's grasp and made his way up to the window sill that was illuminated the most by the moonlight. There, he found his precious charge. "What are you thinking about, Sweetie?" He asked. She turned her head to face him and smiled widely.

"I was watching the stars," She responded warmly, "and thinking about what a wonderful night this has been. I was musing on how good life is right now. Oh, Jack. The passed few days, the world felt so dark and heavy through my eyes. But not anymore! Right now, I feel like I couldn't be any happier! I'm so glad you're back. I love you." Jack licked her face.

"I love you too, Precious," He panted. "I'm glad too that we're together again. It looks like your friends have been an amazing family."

"Oh! They have!" Mitsy exclaimed passionately. "They're all so wonderful. We'd all be lost without each other. And now you're here too!" She snuggled up next to the German Shepherd, clasping her arms around his leg. "Isn't Bonnie just a sweetheart?"

"Yes. She sure is," Jack grinned. "Such a lovely child. She has beautiful eyes. She reminds me of Maddie."

"Jack, you're my best friend, but these guys are the best toys you'll ever know! You couldn't ask for better friends in the whole world! The passed few days, when I thought that...that you were truly gone... _forever,_ all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and forget time. I just wanted to die." Jack placed his large paw on her arms and she rubbed her head against his leg. "But these toys wouldn't stand by and let that happen, Jack," Mitsy continued. "Because they care too much. Slinky, Jessie, Buzz... _Woody_ , they all...their friendship, our circle of family: that is what kept me sane!" The princess was looking up at her faithful, kind old dog. "Them and Bonnie. After the Smiths' fire, I was all alone. Terribly alone. But, Jack? Even though losing you to death was more painful because I'd never, ever see you again-for sure this time-, this time I wasn't alone. This time I was surrounded by kind, loving friends and had a child to come home to. _That_ is what made all the difference!"

"I'm deeply grateful for that." Jack said solemnly.

"If only Bo Peep was here." Mitsy said longingly, glancing back at Woody who was sleeping next to Bonnie. "If only she could see you now, and be here to actually meet you in person! Then everything would be perfect."

"Who is that?" Jack asked.

"Someone _very_ special," Mitsy said passionately. "Well, _another_ someone very special." She smiled. Jack had always been special to her, and Bo Peep was _very special_ indeed, to Woody more than any of the other toys.

After some tender moments of silent pondering and basking in each other's presence, Mitsy climbed onto Jack's back and they carefully descended from the window sill. They slowly walked around the room before going back to bed. Mitsy's heart grew warmer with the sight of each good friend. Jack glanced at them in the dark but silhouetted from the night light, respect growing for them but also rising curiosity about each one's life adventures. Hamm was snoring from his sleeping spot on the nightstand and Buttercup was perched on top of Bonnie's headboard where she'd left him. Mitsy and Jack stared at the two smart aleks. "Those two," Mitsy shook her head, chuckling. "They can be such nuisances at times. But, you know? Life wouldn't be the same without them." Jack chuckled and kept walking, his soft paws making light plops on the hard wood floor.

The Potato Head family were contentedly sleeping on the tea table, Mr. with his arms lovingly, protectively around his wife. "They can be sweet, especially Mrs. Potato Head," Mitsy said. Jack glanced skeptically back at his princess.

"That's not how I remember it!" He exclaimed. He definitely remembered Potato Head's obvious distrustful manner towards him, and his chip on the shoulder attitude.

"I said they _can_ be," Mitsy corrected herself. "With him? It's a _very_ rare thing!" Yet, she felt a warm glow in her heart for the grumpy spud as she remembered how earnestly he had apologized to her for his harshness. "You almost never see it in him, but she is definitely the rosy one. I can't imagine our family without _her!_ Such a kind lady. _But,"_ Mitsy said in a warning tone, "don't cross the line with her! If you rile her, she can become a real baked potato, and you _will_ get burned!" Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Really?" He asked in surprise and curiosity. He couldn't picture the gentle, caring looking lady spud in the said frenzy. "Well then, I guess I'd better watch my step, huh?" Mitsy giggled but nodded, wide-eyed.

"Mm-hmm!" She agreed. Buzz and Jessie were cuddled together on the bean bag, both smiling in their sleep. Jessie's head was nestled into Buzz's shoulder and his hand was affectionately placed over her "yarnful of hair". Jessie's hat was tilted to the side over both their heads.

"So, tell me," Jack said in a sarcastic tone, "How did _they_ end up together? How does a cowgirl meet and fall in love with a guy from space? Forgive me for being cynical, but that's certainly not the first picture that would pop into my mind when referring to a suitable suitor." Mitsy grinned widely, shaking her head.

"Well, that's a long story." Mitsy laughed. "It was fun, sweet, and exciting to see it unfold though. I'm sure they would enjoy telling you about it. But they knew each other for over a decade, and they didn't get married 'til last year!"

"I think that's too long." Jack said. "Did it take them that long to understand how they felt about each other?"

"It took them that long to understand each other's feelings. And to admit it to each other. But look at them. Don't they compliment each other really good?"

"I guess I have plenty of time to find out. I'm very interested in listening to their story." Jack grinned. He had to admit to himself that he was surprised to find that Mitsy didn't yet have a boyfriend or suitor by now flocking around her. Or...did she? Was she keeping such a secret from him? Hmm. _I'll have to ask Slinky._ Jack thought to himself.

As they stepped quietly towards Bonnie and her pillows, Slinky raised his head and smiled at them. Mitsy hopped off and crouched down beside her favorite pal. "Everything's okay, Slink," She whispered.

"I know." The dachshund nodded. "I'm just happy that you're happy." Then he closed his eyes and lay his head back down as Mitsy affectionately rubbed his ears. She kissed the top of his head.

"I love you, little buddy." She grinned. Pricklepants snored softly at his spot near the edge of the bed. Bullseye slept contentedly with Bonnie's arm around him, near their beloved cowboy doll, Woody. The sheriff was sleeping soundly as the princess and dog came close.

"He's such a great guy," Mitsy whispered fervently to Jack, admiring the band's faithful leader. "We all love him dearly and have tremendous respect for him."

"It shows." Jack said quietly, nodding. Woody heard the voices and his eyes fluttered open.

"I...I wasn't snoring again, w-was I?" He yawned, but looked at them pitifully, embarrassed if their answer was 'yes'.

"Well, who doesn't around here?" Jack chuckled lowly so as not to wake Bonnie.

"Oh no!" Woody groaned quietly, gritting his teeth. "Well, sorry."

"You were not," Mitsy spoke up. "Jack and I were just talking about you, that's all."

"What did I do now?" Woody asked, his shoulders sagging and his eyes droopy with desired sleep.

"Oh, more than anyone could ever ask for!" Mitsy grinned widely. Woody's eyes widened and he sat up straight. He was definitely awake now!

"Look, you guys," he quietly pleaded. "Whatever it is, _please_ tell me so that we can get it cleared up and get some sleep! I'm sorry for whatever it is I did, though I honestly can't think of anything...at least not at this moment. What is it?" The other two toys chuckled and Woody stared, confused at their big smiles. He dreaded the root of their humor. _Yikes! They must_ _have_ _something really good on me!_ He panicked in thought. _Stop rubbing it in, you guys! Just tell me! I'm tired._ But before he could say those very words, Mitsy smiled warmly and threw her arms around his neck, clasping his big head in a tight hug. Woody just sat there, flabbergasted.

"I love you, Sheriff," she said happily, "and we all care about you deeply, more than you'll ever know. Because _you_ care so much for all of us." She looked at him happily. Woody stared at them, tired, confused, and surprised. But slowly, he smiled back and grabbed the princess close in a squeezing bear hug. She giggled softly, reminding him even more of what it would be like to have a daughter.

"Mm mm." Woody grunted, patting her back, then pulled her away from himself. "Well, at least my mind can rest at ease tonight, knowing that I'm not the root of some joke! Or...or am I?"

"No, Sheriff." Jack said, shaking his head. "We just wanted to show you some appreciation."

"Well, thank you." Woody smiled back, then yawned again. "You guys are really great, each and every one of you."

"Well, I'd better get back in my spot before Bonnie wakes up and thinks I got lost." Jack said.

"Yeah. Well, good-night, guys." Woody lied back down again, but he wasn't able to close his eyes before the princess gave him another good-night hug. He sighed but ran his fingers through her hair. She sat up and smiled at him.

"Good-night, Bug Guy." She said. "And thank you...for _everything._ Thank you for being you."

"Good-night," Woody whispered. "I'm so happy to see you've got your smile back!" She stood up and he pulled his hat down over his eyes.

Jack curled back up under Bonnie's other arm. The princess cuddled up next to him. "I'm here." Jack said. "I'm not going anywhere!"

"Just making sure." Mitsy snickered, and hugged him tightly. He placed a large paw around her. "Well, I'd better let you be so that you can get some sleep. Good-night, Jack."

Woody listened and sighed with relief. The passed few days had been rough for him and his family: being held hostage by the brutal Spikes Toy Gang and tortured, conflicts among themselves born out of fear, all the incredible stress of trying to escape together with their lives, watching horrible tragedy unfold before their eyes, and most difficult of all, trying to comfort Mitsy during her terrible grief over her heavy loss. But _now,_ they were home safe with Bonnie and each other-and in one piece too-and Mitsy's sorrow had miraculously been granted into joy. A couple days ago, Woody had been so at sea,-they all had-not knowing for sure how to help ease the princess's heartache. Woody could still remember how helpless he'd felt when she broke down and he would've given anything in the world to take away her pain, but was unfairly powerless to do so. But everything had worked out for the best, and that was in the past now! Her smile, so full of cheerfulness and her zest for life had returned, which was a breath of fresh air to the sheriff and the rest of the family. Now he could truly rest, not only his body, but also his mind and let it just soak in the good fortune in life that had come their way. He instantly started to dream and was transported to a white, golden, and pink world where one very dear face looked down at him, smiling _her_ sweet, gentle smile and her silhouette was reflected with golden rays shining behind her. In his dream, Bo Peep was there for him, in his heart and in his hope.

"Good-night, Precious," Jack smiled fondly. "Sweet dreams."

"Thank you." Mitsy whispered to Jack, then slowly headed for her spot next to Dolly on the bookshelf where Bonnie had put her earlier. She was only a small princess doll, but tonight her heart felt as big as the world itself and she felt she'd just burst with joy, to infinity and beyond!

* * *

 **THERE! It's done! I don't intend to make all my fanfic stories centered on the princess, but I hope somebody liked this one. I hope I was able to capture and bring out the strength of family and devotion that we've seen and felt from these beloved toys through the movies. Thanks to everyone who left reviews and gave me unexpected ideas! Your support was helpful. Thank you.**


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